The control of soil-transmitted helminthiases in the Philippines: the story continues
Abstract Background Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections have long been an important public health concern in the Philippines. In this review, we describe the current status of STH infections there and highlight the control efforts undertaken to reduce STH burden. Main text A nationwide STH ma...
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doaj-fd1e8ba6bc064f4a924ae23d5c6f1dba2021-06-13T11:52:26ZengBMCInfectious Diseases of Poverty2049-99572021-06-0110112610.1186/s40249-021-00870-zThe control of soil-transmitted helminthiases in the Philippines: the story continuesMary Lorraine S. Mationg0Veronica L. Tallo1Gail M. Williams2Catherine A. Gordon3Archie C. A. Clements4Donald P. McManus5Darren J. Gray6Department of Global Health, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Institute for Tropical MedicineSchool of Public Health, University of QueenslandMolecular Parasitology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Division, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteFaculty of Health Sciences, Curtin UniversityMolecular Parasitology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Division, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteDepartment of Global Health, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National UniversityAbstract Background Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections have long been an important public health concern in the Philippines. In this review, we describe the current status of STH infections there and highlight the control efforts undertaken to reduce STH burden. Main text A nationwide STH mass drug administration (MDA) programme was started in 2006 but the overall STH prevalence remains stubbornly high across the Philippines, ranging from 24.9% to 97.4%. The continued increase in the prevalence may have been due to the challenges related to MDA implementation which include the lack of people’s awareness about the importance of regular treatment, misconceptions about the MDA strategy, lack of confidence on the drugs used, fear of adverse events and general distrust of government programs. There are existing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes implemented in communities [e.g., Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) program and providing toilet bowls and provision of subsidy for latrine construction] and schools [e.g., WASH in School (WINS) program], but sustained implementation is required to achieve expected outcomes. Although WASH in general is being taught in schools, integration of STH as a disease and community problem in the current public elementary school curriculum is still inadequate. The Integrated Helminth Control Program (IHCP) currently implemented in the country, which is focused on improved sanitation and personal hygiene, health education and preventive chemotherapy, will require continuous appraisal. The sustainability of this programme still continues to be a challenge. Conclusions Despite the major efforts to control STH infections for almost two decades in the Philippines, persistently high STH prevalence has been reported across the country, which is likely due to suboptimal MDA coverage and limitations in WASH and health education programs. Sustainable delivery of integrated control approaches will continue to play a pivotal role in the control and elimination of STH in the Philippines. Graphic abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-021-00870-zSoil-transmitted helminthsEpidemiologyControlThe Philippines |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Mary Lorraine S. Mationg Veronica L. Tallo Gail M. Williams Catherine A. Gordon Archie C. A. Clements Donald P. McManus Darren J. Gray |
spellingShingle |
Mary Lorraine S. Mationg Veronica L. Tallo Gail M. Williams Catherine A. Gordon Archie C. A. Clements Donald P. McManus Darren J. Gray The control of soil-transmitted helminthiases in the Philippines: the story continues Infectious Diseases of Poverty Soil-transmitted helminths Epidemiology Control The Philippines |
author_facet |
Mary Lorraine S. Mationg Veronica L. Tallo Gail M. Williams Catherine A. Gordon Archie C. A. Clements Donald P. McManus Darren J. Gray |
author_sort |
Mary Lorraine S. Mationg |
title |
The control of soil-transmitted helminthiases in the Philippines: the story continues |
title_short |
The control of soil-transmitted helminthiases in the Philippines: the story continues |
title_full |
The control of soil-transmitted helminthiases in the Philippines: the story continues |
title_fullStr |
The control of soil-transmitted helminthiases in the Philippines: the story continues |
title_full_unstemmed |
The control of soil-transmitted helminthiases in the Philippines: the story continues |
title_sort |
control of soil-transmitted helminthiases in the philippines: the story continues |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
Infectious Diseases of Poverty |
issn |
2049-9957 |
publishDate |
2021-06-01 |
description |
Abstract Background Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections have long been an important public health concern in the Philippines. In this review, we describe the current status of STH infections there and highlight the control efforts undertaken to reduce STH burden. Main text A nationwide STH mass drug administration (MDA) programme was started in 2006 but the overall STH prevalence remains stubbornly high across the Philippines, ranging from 24.9% to 97.4%. The continued increase in the prevalence may have been due to the challenges related to MDA implementation which include the lack of people’s awareness about the importance of regular treatment, misconceptions about the MDA strategy, lack of confidence on the drugs used, fear of adverse events and general distrust of government programs. There are existing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes implemented in communities [e.g., Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) program and providing toilet bowls and provision of subsidy for latrine construction] and schools [e.g., WASH in School (WINS) program], but sustained implementation is required to achieve expected outcomes. Although WASH in general is being taught in schools, integration of STH as a disease and community problem in the current public elementary school curriculum is still inadequate. The Integrated Helminth Control Program (IHCP) currently implemented in the country, which is focused on improved sanitation and personal hygiene, health education and preventive chemotherapy, will require continuous appraisal. The sustainability of this programme still continues to be a challenge. Conclusions Despite the major efforts to control STH infections for almost two decades in the Philippines, persistently high STH prevalence has been reported across the country, which is likely due to suboptimal MDA coverage and limitations in WASH and health education programs. Sustainable delivery of integrated control approaches will continue to play a pivotal role in the control and elimination of STH in the Philippines. Graphic abstract |
topic |
Soil-transmitted helminths Epidemiology Control The Philippines |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-021-00870-z |
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