A combined school- and community-based campaign targeting all school-age children of Burkina Faso against schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis: performance, financial costs and implications for sustainability.
A combined school- and community-based campaign targeting the entire school-age population of Burkina Faso with drugs against schistosomiasis (praziquantel) and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (albendazole) was implemented in 2004-2005. In total, 3,322,564 children from 5 to 15 years of age were treated, equivalent to a 90.8% coverage of the total school-age population of the country. The total costs of the campaign were estimated to be US 1,067,284 dollars, of which 69.4% was spent on the drugs. Delivery costs per child treated were US 0.098 dollar, in the same range as school-based only interventions implemented in other countries; total costs per child treated (including drugs) were US 0.32 dollar. We conclude that a combined school- and community-based strategy is effective in attaining a high coverage among school-age children in countries where school enrolment is low and where primary schools cannot serve as the exclusive drug distribution points. The challenge for Burkina Faso will now be to ensure the sustainability of these disease control activities.
Gabrielli
Albis-Francesco
AF
Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK. gabriellia@who.int
Touré
Seydou
S
Sellin
Bertrand
B
Sellin
Elisabeth
E
Ky
Césaire
C
Ouedraogo
Hamado
H
Yaogho
Malachie
M
Wilson
Michael D
MD
Thompson
Howard
H
Sanou
Souleymane
S
Fenwick
Alan
A
D000293:Adolescent; D015766:Albendazole / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002050:Burkina Faso; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016527:Drug Costs; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium / Q000254:growth & development*; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000254:growth & development*; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012574:Schools
D000871:Anthelmintics; D011223:Praziquantel; D015766:Albendazole