A. Montresor et al., Extending anthelminthic coverage to non-enrolled school-age children usinga simple and low-cost method, TR MED I H, 6(7), 2001, pp. 535-537
School health programmes are the basis of the strategy defined by WHO to re
duce morbidity due to soil-transmitted nematodes and schistosomes in school
age populations in developing countries. However, low rates of school enro
lment can be a major factor limiting their success.
In the present study enrolled children were informed by teachers on the dat
e of the next deworming compaign acid were invited to pass along this infor
mation to parents, siblings and friends of school-age.
On the day of the deworming campaign, teachers were instructed to administe
r anthelminthics to enrolled and not enrolled school-age children present a
t school. Tn the month following the treatment day, information about cover
age was collected by questionnaire in 257 households in two regions of Ungu
ia Island, Zanzibar. Over 89% of school age children resulted treated (98.9
% of those enrolled plus 60% of those not enrolled). The additional cost of
treating non-enrolled is limited to the cost of providing additional doses
of anthelminthic drug in each school.
Non-enrolled school age children can easily, successfully and inexpensively
included in school based deworming campaign. Managers of control programme
s are invited to test this method adapting it in their particular and cultu
ral environment.