Schistosomiasis in Formal and Non-Formal Schools in Uganda: Implications for Control Programmes

Overview

Current efforts to control schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthes infections focus on the school-age population, and school-based treatment delivery programs offer a major cost advantages because of the use of the existing school infrastructure and the fact that schoolchildren are accessible through schools. However, in many developing countries, large numbers of school-age children are not in school and this has raised questions about the effectiveness of school-based programs in reaching non-enrolled children. Increasingly, the non-formal education sector is providing a growing solution to the problem of poor enrolment in basic education, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and has recently been used to deliver praziquantel as part of a national schistosomiasis control program in Uganda. However, it is unclear how effective this program has been in reaching children who attend non-formal schools and whether the program has been reaching children from the poorest households.

This study will compare infection and nutritional status of children enrolled in formal schools and non-formal schools, and non-enrolled children in Nakasongola District in Uganda, and investigate the process and impact of treatment delivered by the national control program. The study will consist of household surveys and cross-sectional parasitological and hematological surveys, with follow-up six months later. The evaluation will take place over the course of a year and will: * Compare the infection and nutritional status of children enrolled in formal schools and non-formal schools, and non-enrolled children in Nakasongola District, Uganda * Compare programmatic process indicators, including enrolment rates, attendance rates, access to water and sanitation, treatment coverage in formal and non-formal schools * Investigate the impact of treatment on intensity of infection and reinfection rates in formal and non-formal schools.

Conditions