Published: August 20, 2021 | File type: PDF

Increasing efficiencies from integrating control and elimination programmes for soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomiasis

David Rollinson, Girija Sankar, Mariana Stephens, Anouk Gouvras, Johannes Waltz, Louis Albert Tchuem Tchuenté, and Rubina Imtiaz

Children Without Worms, secretariat of The Soil-transmitted Helminth (STH) Coalition, advocates for renewed efforts of collaboration with Global Schistosomiasis (SCH) Alliance and relevant stakeholders to scale up control programs for both STH and SCH in tandem. Although STH and SCH have their own distinguishable characteristics, especially related to their transmission, the medications commonly used for preventive chemotherapy are frequently administered together. This publication discusses continuation of co-administering these drugs as well as an improved integration framework to provide health systems with greater coordination and resource mobilization. Integrated approaches between STHs and SCHs will accelerate progress towards control/elimination and achievement of WHO NTD Roadmap targets.