Revisiting the epidemiology of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Chad: insights for improved interventions

Summary

This article presents the result of a study conducted in Chad to investigate the spread of two neglected tropical diseases — schistosomiasis (SCH) and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) — which are common in regions suffering from inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure.

The survey involved examining 15,828 school-age children across 25 health districts to gather data critical for optimising strategies for mass drug administration. The results confirmed a generally low level of endemicity for both SCH and STH across the areas surveyed.

This new data led to programmatic decisions where two health districts were identified as requiring continued annual drug treatment, while one district has progressed far enough to move to a surveillance phase.

However, the study also exposed critical gaps in basic public health, finding that a high percentage of the school-age children surveyed did not practice handwashing and/or lacked access to safe drinking water. While the low disease levels are encouraging, sustaining these gains and achieving elimination will require continued monitoring and massive improvements in crucial WASH infrastructure.

This article is part of the supplement ‘Sightsavers at 75: delivering impact through health and inclusion research’ in the journal International Health, published in collaboration with the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in celebration of Sightsavers’ 75th anniversary.