Soil-transmitted helminthiases in secondary school students in selected sites in two provinces in the Philippines: policy implications.
The latest World Health Organization (WHO) strategic plan for eliminating soil-transmitted helminthiases (STHs) as a public health problem in children puts the emphasis on school-age children. On the other hand, the Philippine national helminth control program excludes secondary school students in mass deworming for STH. This study determined the prevalence and intensity of STH in a sample of 633 students (14-15 years old) in selected secondary schools in two Philippine provinces. Stool specimens were processed following the Kato-Katz technique and examined for the presence of helminth ova. Overall cumulative prevalence of STH was 31.3%, while prevalence of moderate-heavy-intensity infections was 7.7%, well beyond the WHO target of ≤1% for reducing morbidity in school-age children. Recommendations were made to update the Philippine helminth control program and to re-examine the WHO strategic plan so that helminth prevention and control strategies may also be emphasized for secondary school students especially in high-prevalence areas.
Neglected Tropical Diseases Study Group, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila, 623 Pedro Gil St., Manila 1000, PhilippinesDepartment of Parasitology vybelizario@post.upm.edu.ph vbelizar@yahoo.com.
Vicente
V
Belizario
Neglected Tropical Diseases Study Group, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila, 623 Pedro Gil St., Manila 1000, Philippines.
Paul Lester
PL
Chua
Neglected Tropical Diseases Study Group, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila, 623 Pedro Gil St., Manila 1000, Philippines.
Harvy Joy
HJ
Liwanag
Neglected Tropical Diseases Study Group, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila, 623 Pedro Gil St., Manila 1000, Philippines.
June Rose
JR
Naig
College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila, 625 Pedro Gil St., Ermita, Manila 1000, Philippines.
Jeffrey Mark
JM
Erfe
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D006376:Helminths / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010679:Philippines / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012574:Schools; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D012987:Soil
Philippines; adolescent; intestinal helminthiasis; public health; secondary schools