02213nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260003700042653005000079653002300129653002200152100001100174700002100185700001600206700002300222245010400245856009800349300000900447490000700456520151800463022001401981       2024                            d  bPublic Library of Science (PLoS)10apaediatric schistosomiasis control programmes10asub-Saharan Africa10asystematic review1 aVere M1 aten Ham-Baloyi W1 aMelariri PE1 aInocencio da Luz R00aEffects of paediatric schistosomiasis control programmes in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review  uhttps://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0301464&type=printable  a1-250 v193 a<p>Preventive chemotherapy by mass drug administration is globally recommended as the primary method of reaching the elimination of schistosomiasis, especially in the high risk-paediatric population. This systematic review provides a summary of the effects of paediatric schistosomiasis control programs on eliminating schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EBSCOhost, and other databases to obtain studies regarding the effects of paediatric schistosomiasis control programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. 3455 studies were screened for eligibility, included articles reported on both paediatrics control programmes and schistosomiasis, and articles were excluded when they did not report on schistosomiasis control programmes in paediatrics exclusively. 40 selected studies were critically appraised using the JBI critical appraisal tools for relevance and 30 studies were included in the study. An in-depth quantitative descriptive analysis was conducted, and a comprehensive narrative summary explained the results within the scope of the review questions. The results show that despite preventive chemotherapy lowering schistosomiasis prevalence, chances of re-infection are high in endemic areas. Preventive chemotherapy without complementary interventions including safe water provision and proper sanitation, snail control and health education on the aetiology of schistosomiasis, transmission pattern and control practices might not eliminate schistosomiasis.</p>
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