Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T01:46:20.027Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis control in Cameroon and Côte d'Ivoire: implementing control on a limited budget

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

L. A. TCHUEM TCHUENTÉ*
Affiliation:
National Programme for the Control of Schistosomiasis and Intestinal Helminthiasis, Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon Laboratoire de Biologie Générale, Université de Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon Centre for Schistosomiasis and Parasitology, P.O. Box 7244, Yaoundé, Cameroon
E. K. N'GORAN
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Zoologie et Biologie Animale, Unité Parasitologie et Ecologie Parasitaire, UFR Biosciences, Université de Cocody-Abidjan, B.P. 582, Abidjan 22, Côte d'Ivoire Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, B.P. 1303, Abidjan 01, Côte d'Ivoire
*
*Corresponding author: Louis-Albert Tchuem Tchuenté, Centre for Schistosomiasis and Parasitology, P.O. Box 7244, Yaoundé, Cameroon, Tel: +237 22 21 01 83. Fax: +237 22 21 50 77. E-mail: tchuemtchuente@schisto.com

Summary

Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis occur throughout the developing world and remain a major public health problem in the poorest communities with enormous consequences for development. The extent of the problem has long been neglected because these diseases rarely kill at a young age and also because of their insidious nature. Today there exists a momentum and an unprecedented opportunity for a cost-effective control of these neglected tropical diseases. The control of these diseases has become a priority on the agenda of many governments, donors and international agencies. This paper highlights the progress made and future control activities in Cameroon and Côte d'Ivoire, where schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis control measures have been implemented over the past decade with limited budgets. In Cameroon, deworming activities were increased to encompass all ten regions in 2007 as a result of a co-ordinated effort of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education with national and international partners. In Côte d'Ivoire, focal control activities were achieved with support from various partners. Prospects, opportunities and challenges for the control of neglected tropical diseases in these two countries are discussed.

Type
SECTION 2 IMPLEMENTATION OF CONTROL AT NATIONAL LEVELS
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Boussinesq, M., Gardon, J., Gardon-Wendel, N., Chippaux, J. P. and Chippaux, P. (2003). Clinical picture, epidemiology and outcome of Loa-associated serious adverse events related to mass ivermectin treatment of onchocerciasis in Cameroon. Filaria Journal 2 (Suppl. 1) S4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brooker, S., Donnelly, C. A. and Guyatt, H. L. (2000). Estimating the number of helminthic infections in the Republic of Cameroon from data on infection prevalence in schoolchildren. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 78, 14561465.Google ScholarPubMed
Fleming, F. M., Brooker, S., Geiger, S. M., Caldas, I. R., Correa-Oliveira, R., Hotez, P. J. and Bethony, J. M. (2006). Synergistic associations between hookworm and other helminth species in a rural community in Brazil. Tropical Medicine and International Health 11, 5664.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Molyneux, D. H. (2008). Combating the other diseases of MDG 6: changing the paradigm to achieve equity and poverty reduction. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 102, 509519.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Molyneux, D. H., Hotez, P. and Fenwick, A. (2005). Rapid impact interventions: how a policy of integrated control for Africa's neglected tropical diseases could benefit the poor. PLoS Medicine 2, 10641070.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
N'Goran, E. K., Utzinger, J., Gnaka, H. N., Yapi, A., N'Guessan, N. A., Kigbafori, S. D., Lengeler, C., Chollet, J., Xiao, S. H. and Tanner, M. (2003). Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral artemether for the prevention of patent Schistosoma haematobium infections. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 68, 2432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
N'Goran, E. K., Utzinger, J., N'Guessan, A. N., Müller, I., Zamblé, K., Lohourignon, K. L., Traoré, M., Sosthène, B. A., Lengeler, C. and Tanner, M. (2001). Reinfection with Schistosoma haematobium following school-based chemotherapy with praziquantel in four highly endemic villages in Côte d'Ivoire. Tropical Medicine and International Health 6, 817825.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
N'Goran, E. K., Utzinger, J., Traoré, M., Lengeler, C. and Tanner, M. (1998). Identification rapide par questionnaire des principaux foyers de bilharziose urinaire au centre de la Côte d'Ivoire. Médecine Tropicale 58, 253260.Google Scholar
N'Guessan, N. A., Acka, C. A., Utzinger, J. and N'Goran, E. K. (2007). Identification des régions à haut risque de schistosomoses en Côte d'Ivoire. Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie Exotique 100, 119123.Google Scholar
Raso, G., Matthys, B., N'Goran, E. K., Tanner, M., Vounatsou, P. and Utzinger, J. (2005). Spatial risk prediction and mapping of Schistosoma mansoni infections among schoolchildren living in western Côte d'Ivoire. Parasitology 131, 97108.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ratard, R. C., Kouemeni, L. E., Ekani Bessala, M. M., Ndamkou, C. N., Greer, G. J., Spilsburg, J. and Cline, B. L. (1990). Human schistosomiasis in Cameroon. I. Distribution of schistosomiasis. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 42, 561572.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ratard, R. C., Kouemeni, L. E., Ekani Bessala, M. M., Ndamkou, C. N., Sama, M. T. and Cline, B. L. (1991). Ascariasis and trichuriasis in Cameroon. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 85, 8488.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Southgate, V. R., Rollinson, D., Tchuem Tchuenté, L. A. and Hagan, P. (2005). Towards control of schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Helminthology 79, 181185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Steinmann, P., Keiser, J., Bos, R., Tanner, M. and Utzinger, J. (2006). Schistosomiasis and water resources development: systematic review, meta-analysis, and estimates of people at risk. Lancet Infectious Diseases 6, 411425.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tchuem Tchuenté, L. A. (2006). Lutte contre la schistosomose: défi et perspectives pour le XXIe siècle. Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie Exotique 99, 372376.Google Scholar
Tchuem Tchuenté, L. A., Behnke, J. M., Gilbert, F., Southgate, V. R. and Vercruysse, J. (2003). Polyparasitism with Schistosoma haematobium and soil-transmitted helminth infections among school children in Loum, Cameroon. Tropical Medicine and International Health 8, 975986.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Utzinger, J., N'Goran, E. K., N'Dri, A., Lengeler, C., Xiao, S. H. and Tanner, M. (2000 a). Oral artemether for prevention of Schistosoma mansoni infection: randomised controlled trial. Lancet 355, 13201325.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Utzinger, J., N'Goran, E. K., Ossey, Y. A., Booth, M., Traoré, M., Lohourignon, K. L., Allangba, A., Ahiba, L. A., Tanner, M. and Lengeler, C. (2000 b). Rapid screening for Schistosoma mansoni in western Côte d'Ivoire using a simple school questionnaire. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 78, 389398.Google ScholarPubMed
WHO (2002). Prevention and control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Report of a WHO Expert Committee. WHO Technical Report Series No. 912. World Health Organization, Geneva.Google Scholar
WHO (2006). Preventive chemotherapy in human helminthiasis: coordinated use of anthelminthic drugs in control interventions: a manual for health professionals and programme managers. World Health Organization Press, Geneva.Google Scholar