title: Community perception of school-based delivery of anthelmintics in Ghana and Tanzania.
abstract: This paper presents the results of an evaluation of community perception of two large-scale, government-run, school-based health programmes delivering anthelmintic drugs to primary school children, in Ghana (80 442 children in 577 schools) and Tanzania (110 000 children in 352 schools). Most teachers (96% in Ghana and 98% in Tanzania) were positive about their role in the programme, including administration of anthelmintic drugs, and parents and children fully accepted their taking on this role. The benefits of the programme were apparent to teachers, parents and children in terms of improved health and well-being of the children. Over 90% of parents in both Ghana and Tanzania indicated a willingness to pay for the continuation of drug treatment. The evaluation also highlighted areas that are critical to programme effectiveness, such as communication between schools and parents, the issue of collaboration between the health and education sectors, parents' perception of the importance of helminth infection as a serious and chronic health problem (compared with more acute and life threatening illnesses such as malaria), and who should pay for treatment of side-effects.
authors.affiliation: The Partnership for Child Development, Imperial College School of Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brooker
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marriot
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adjei
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bundy
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Drake
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Coombes
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Azene
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Lansdown
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dzodozmenyo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cobbinah
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Obro
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kihamia
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Issae
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mwanri
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mweta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mwaikemwa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salimu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ntimbwa
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Kiwelu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turuka
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Nkungu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Magingo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005178:Faculty; D005869:Ghana; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D010290:Parents; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D012572:School Health Services; D013636:Tanzania
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics