A SCHOOL-BASED APPROACH TO THE CONTROL OF URINARY SCHISTOSOMIASIS ANDINTESTINAL HELMINTH INFECTIONS IN CHILDREN IN MATUGA, KENYA - IMPACT OF A 2-YEAR CHEMOTHERAPY PROGRAM ON PREVALENCE AND INTENSITY OF INFECTIONS

A school-and chemotherapy-based urinary schistosomiasis and intestinal helminth infection control programme was conducted in Matuga Division , Kwale District, Coast Province with teachers taking care of diagnosi s, treatment and health education. More than 12 000 children in 36 pri mary schools were included in the 2-year programme. Results for 20 eva luation schools are presented. Children with haematuria were treated w ith praziquantel (40 mg/kg) once a year. Within 2 years, the prevalenc e of haematuria in the schools was reduced from 28% (range 8-68%) to 1 1.4% (range 3-23%) More than 80% of the schoolchildren were infected w ith one or more intestinal helminths at baseline. After one year with levamisole mass chemotherapy, single dose (2.5 mg/kg) three times a ye ar (once per school term), the prevalence of Ascaris infection was red uced by 83% from 18% to 3%, but there was no change in pretreatment pr evalences of hookworm (57%) and Trichuris (56%) infections. In the sec ond year of the programme, albendazole 600 mg once every six months wa s administered to the children in Io randomly selected schools. This r esulted in 52% and 23% reductions in prevalences of hookworm and Trich uris infections, respectively, in these schools and a reduction in mea n intensity of infection of 52.8% and 50.3%, respectively.