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. 2023 Oct 9;378(1887):20220430.
doi: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0430. Epub 2023 Aug 21.

Knowledge, attitudes, practices and acceptability of a school preventive chemotherapy programme for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths control in Angola

Adam W Bartlett  1 , Elsa P Mendes  2 , Latifeh Dahmash  3 , Luis B Peliganga  2 , Luis M M Lufunda  3 , Ana Direito  3 , Pauline N Mwinzi  4 , Pablo Eulogio  2 , Sergio Lopes  2 , Susana Vaz Nery  1
Affiliations

Knowledge, attitudes, practices and acceptability of a school preventive chemotherapy programme for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths control in Angola

Adam W Bartlett et al. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. .

Abstract

Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) control programs require target population engagement, assessed through knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) surveys. We report the results of a KAP survey of Angolan schoolchildren supported by a school preventive chemotherapy (PC) programme, without or with a school water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme (PC+/WASH- and PC+/WASH+, respectively); and schoolchildren without a school PC or WASH program (PC-/WASH-). Schoolchildren from PC+/WASH- (N = 218), PC+/WASH+ (N = 250) and PC-/WASH- (N = 254) schools were interviewed. Descriptive statistics were used to report demographics and survey responses. Chi-square or Fisher's exact test was used to compare PC+/WASH- schoolchildren with (i) PC+/WASH+ and (ii) PC-/WASH- schoolchildren. A lower proportion of PC+/WASH- schoolchildren used latrines and a higher proportion practised open defecation at school compared with PC+/WASH+ schoolchildren. A lower proportion of PC+/WASH- schoolchildren always washed their hands after toileting and before meals at school compared with PC+/WASH+ schoolchildren. However, the PC+/WASH- schoolchildren reported better toileting and handwashing practices at school compared to PC-/WASH- schoolchildren. Over 90% of PC+ schoolchildren agreed with schistosomiasis and STH control and accepted schoolteacher PC delivery. Expanding the integration of both school PC and WASH programs will improve health behaviours relevant to reduce the risk of schistosomiasis and STHs in schoolchildren. This article is part of the theme issue 'Challenges and opportunities in the fight against neglected tropical diseases: a decade from the London Declaration on NTDs'.

Keywords: knowledge, attitudes and practices; preventive chemotherapy; schistosomiasis; soil-transmitted helminths; water, sanitation and hygiene.

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Conflict of interest statement

We declare we have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Location of Huambo (blue), Uige (red), Zaire (orange) and Kwanza Norte (pink) provinces, Angola (green). Base-layer map provided by the Database of Global Administrative Areas (GADM): https://gadm.org/download_country.html; license: https://gadm.org/license.html.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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