-transparent.png){kind=logo}
BACKGROUND Schistosoma mansoni was moderately-highly endemic in the northeast of Sierra Leone. The national neglected tropical disease control program started mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel (PZQ) in six districts in 2009 targeting primary school children only. The effort was scaled-up to seven districts in 2010 targeting school aged children (SAC) and at-risk adults. A cross-sectional sentinel site survey was conducted in 2012 after three rounds of MDA to evaluate the impact of the national program. METHODS Twenty-six (26) sentinel sites were randomly selected from the baseline mapping survey sites stratified according to the baseline prevalence into high, moderate or low endemic category. Fifty (50) school children (25 males and 25 females) were randomly selected per site. Fresh stool samples were examined in the field using the Kato Katz technique. The results were compared with the baseline data. RESULTS Program coverage of 94.8%, 77.1% and 81.7% was reported in 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively. Independent monitoring in 2011 showed program coverage of 83.9%, not significantly different from the reported result in the same year. The overall prevalence of S. mansoni was 16.3% (95% CI: 14.4-18.4%) and mean intensity was 18.98 epg (95% CI: 11.46-26.50 epg) in 2012, representing 67.2% and 85.9% reduction from the baseline respectively. The proportion of moderately and heavily infected children was 3.3% and 1.2%, a significant reduction from 18.2% and 8.8% at baseline respectively. CONCLUSIONS Sierra Leone has maintained effective MDA coverage with PZQ since 2009. Three rounds of MDA led to a significant reduction of S. mansoni infection in the country. In line with the significant progress made in controlling schistosomiasis, the national treatment strategy has been reviewed and MDA will be expanded to include school age children in low endemicity districts with the new national objective for the elimination of schistosomiasis. Sierra Leone is well on its way to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem.
Santigie Sesay, and
Jusufu Paye, and
Mohamed S Bah, and
Florence Max McCarthy, and
Abdulai Conteh, and
Mustapha Sonnie, and
Mary H Hodges, and
Yaobi Zhang
January 2012,
BMC infectious diseases,
Santigie Sesay, and
Jusufu Paye, and
Mohamed S Bah, and
Florence Max McCarthy, and
Abdulai Conteh, and
Mustapha Sonnie, and
Mary H Hodges, and
Yaobi Zhang
January 2019,
Frontiers in public health,
Santigie Sesay, and
Jusufu Paye, and
Mohamed S Bah, and
Florence Max McCarthy, and
Abdulai Conteh, and
Mustapha Sonnie, and
Mary H Hodges, and
Yaobi Zhang
April 1989,
Annals of tropical medicine and parasitology,
Santigie Sesay, and
Jusufu Paye, and
Mohamed S Bah, and
Florence Max McCarthy, and
Abdulai Conteh, and
Mustapha Sonnie, and
Mary H Hodges, and
Yaobi Zhang
December 1994,
Lancet (London, England),
Santigie Sesay, and
Jusufu Paye, and
Mohamed S Bah, and
Florence Max McCarthy, and
Abdulai Conteh, and
Mustapha Sonnie, and
Mary H Hodges, and
Yaobi Zhang
June 2020,
Journal of infection in developing countries,
Santigie Sesay, and
Jusufu Paye, and
Mohamed S Bah, and
Florence Max McCarthy, and
Abdulai Conteh, and
Mustapha Sonnie, and
Mary H Hodges, and
Yaobi Zhang
January 2013,
PLoS neglected tropical diseases,
Santigie Sesay, and
Jusufu Paye, and
Mohamed S Bah, and
Florence Max McCarthy, and
Abdulai Conteh, and
Mustapha Sonnie, and
Mary H Hodges, and
Yaobi Zhang
October 2012,
Parasites & vectors,
Santigie Sesay, and
Jusufu Paye, and
Mohamed S Bah, and
Florence Max McCarthy, and
Abdulai Conteh, and
Mustapha Sonnie, and
Mary H Hodges, and
Yaobi Zhang
March 2019,
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene,
Santigie Sesay, and
Jusufu Paye, and
Mohamed S Bah, and
Florence Max McCarthy, and
Abdulai Conteh, and
Mustapha Sonnie, and
Mary H Hodges, and
Yaobi Zhang
July 2020,
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene,
Santigie Sesay, and
Jusufu Paye, and
Mohamed S Bah, and
Florence Max McCarthy, and
Abdulai Conteh, and
Mustapha Sonnie, and
Mary H Hodges, and
Yaobi Zhang
June 1989,
Tropical medicine and parasitology : official organ of Deutsche Tropenmedizinische Gesellschaft and of Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ),
