To combat the devastating impact of parasitic worm infections on children’s health and well-being, Lesotho is taking significant steps towards mass treatment. Collaborating with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health in Lesotho is reviving its Mass Drug Administration (MDA) program to tackle Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) through the distribution of albendazole tablets to preschool-aged and school-aged children.
The global scale of soil-transmitted helminths is staggering, affecting over 1.5 billion people worldwide. These infections are particularly rampant in low-income regions, with the African region bearing a substantial burden, putting more than 800 million individuals at risk. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, around 290 million school-age children require preventive chemotherapy due to STH endemicity.
Lesotho conducted a national STH mapping survey in 2015, which uncovered an alarming overall prevalence rate of 47.6%, with certain districts showing rates as high as 99%. Consequently, an MDA initiative was launched in 2017 but faced challenges leading to its cessation post-2019, leaving approximately 550,000 individuals vulnerable to STH infections once again.
Recognized by WHO as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), STH infections thrive in populations lacking adequate sanitation and healthcare facilities. Draining resources and hindering child development, these parasitic diseases have far-reaching consequences on nutrition, growth, and educational outcomes.
Dr. Dhruv Pandey from WHO stressed that discontinuing MDA could severely impact public health and socio-economic progress in Lesotho. He emphasized the importance of reinstating MDA within existing health programs like immunization campaigns for comprehensive disease control.
Ntsoaki Mamoeketsi Mokete highlighted the significance of developing an operational manual for controlling NTDs in Lesotho. The country plans to conduct five years of continuous MDA followed by an impact assessment survey to ascertain the effectiveness of deworming strategies for eliminating STH as a public health concern.
The Ministry of Education echoed support for the program emphasizing its direct benefits for student welfare and academic performance. Additionally, stakeholders from various sectors such as agriculture underscored how combating STH not only safeguards public health but also contributes directly to key sustainable development goals like Zero Hunger.
Incorporating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) into the MDA campaign against Soil-Transmitted Helminths ensures clarity of roles and alignment with broader health goals relating to Water Sanitation Hygiene (WASH). This holistic approach aims not only at treatment but also prevention by addressing environmental factors driving STH transmission.
Collaborative efforts involving ministries responsible for Education, Nutrition, WASH, Environment among others signal a unified front against STH infections in Lesotho. By developing pragmatic operational manuals implementable at all levels of engagement across sectors marks a crucial stride towards establishing sustainable interventions for controlling and eventually eradicating STH as a public health threat.
WHO’s pivotal role alongside partner organizations has been instrumental in driving successful MDA implementation globally by providing comprehensive support throughout every phase – ensuring quality control sustainability annual reporting and impactful assessments post-intervention period.
