Posted: March 25, 2025

Need for a paradigm shift in soil-transmitted helminthiasis control: Targeting the right people, in the right place, and with the right drug(s)

We propose 3 critical policy actions that constitute a paradigm shift in STH control and elimination that will increase eligible population reach and perhaps interrupt transmission and eliminate the parasites: (i) target deworming drugs to the right people, in the right place, in the right quantity; (ii) use the right drug(s) for the prevalent species; and (iii) increase coordination, accountability, and country ownership. In this new paradigm, global control of STH can be more equitable, more effective, and more cost-efficient.

Emerson PM, Evans D, Freeman MC, Hanson C, Kalua K, Keiser J, et al. (2024) Need for a paradigm shift in soil-transmitted helminthiasis control: Targeting the right people, in the right place, and with the right drug(s). PLoS Negl Trop Dis 18(10): e0012521. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012521