03251nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260003700042653001400079653002500093653002300118653002500141653001500166653002100181653003100202653002400233100001200257700001300269700001400282700001100296700001400307700001200321700001200333245014800345856010900493300000900602490000600611520230600617022001402923       2024                            d  bPublic Library of Science (PLoS)10aHookworms10aAscaris lumbricoides10aDatabase searching10aMedical risk factors10aSanitation10aHealth Education10aSoil-transmitted helminths10aHelminth infections1 aUgwu SC1 aMuoka MO1 aMacLeod C1 aBick S1 aCumming O1 aBraun L1 aSylla K00aThe impact of community based interventions for the prevention and control of soil-transmitted helminths: A systematic review and meta-analysis  uhttps://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0003717&type=printable  a1-200 v43 a<jats:p>Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are among the most common human infections worldwide and a major cause of morbidity. They are caused by different species of parasitic worms and transmitted by eggs released in faeces or when hookworm larvae penetrate the skin. The main control strategy in endemic regions is periodic treatment with deworming medication. In the last 10 years, there has been a scale-up of prevention and control activities with a focus on community-based interventions (CBIs). This review aims to systematically analyse the impact of CBIs on the prevalence and infection intensity of STHs. A systematic review was published on this topic in 2014, but there have subsequently been several new studies published which are included in this review. Electronic database search of MEDLINE (Ovid), Global Health Online (Ovid), Cochrane Library, Embase (Ovid) and Web of Science was conducted. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened by two independent reviewers according to predefined eligibility criteria. Data were extracted and a meta-analysis of included studies was conducted. A total of 11,954 de-duplicated titles were screened, and 33 studies were included in the review. 14 focussed on community-wide treatment, 11 studies investigated school-based interventions, and 3 studies investigating both. Results suggest that CBIs are effective in reducing the prevalence of Hookworm, <jats:italic>Trichuris trichiura</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Ascaris lumbricoides</jats:italic>. School-based treatment and community-wide treatment, as well as annual and semi-annual deworming, all reduce STH prevalence significantly. Mass drug administration was effective in reducing the infection intensity of Hookworm (Mean difference: -211.36 [95% CI: -519.12, 96.39]), <jats:italic>Trichuris trichiura</jats:italic> (-736.69 [-1349.97, -123.42]) and <jats:italic>Ascaris lumbricoides</jats:italic> (-2723.34 [-5014.85, -431.84]). The results suggest that CBIs are effective in reducing the prevalence and intensity of STH infections. While most studies delivered preventive chemotherapy (PC), few studies explored the impact of interventions such as water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) or health education, which may be essential in preventing reinfection after PC.</jats:p>  a2767-3375