@article{Uneke_2010, title={Soil transmitted helminth infections and schistosomiasis in school age children in sub-Saharan Africa: Efficacy of chemotherapeutic intervention since World Health Assembly Resolution 2001}, volume={12}, url={https://www.ajol.info/index.php/thrb/article/view/56366}, DOI={10.4314/thrb.v12i1.56366}, abstractNote={<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: ";Palatino Linotype";;" lang="EN-GB">Soil transmitted helminth infections (STH) and schistosomiasis constitute major public health challenges among school-age children in sub-Saharan Africa. This review assessed the efficacy of chemotherapeutic intervention in line with the World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution since the passage in 2001. Using the Medline Entrez-Pubmed search, relevant publications were identified via combinations of key words such as <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">helminth infection, school children, chemotherapy, Africa. </em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Albendazole, mebendazole, and praziquantel were the antihelminthic drugs most commonly evaluated. Cure rates >80% and egg reduction rates >90% were recorded in most cases of schistosomiasis using praziquantel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Albendazole was very effective against <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A. lumbricoides</em> and hookworm infections with majority of the studies recording cure rates >75%, but the efficacy of the drug was poor against <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">T. trichiura. </em>To ensure the realization of the WHA resolution, there is need for regular treatment of school children, development of alternative antihelminthic drugs and vaccines, environmental control measures and health education.</span></p>}, number={1}, journal={Tanzania Journal of Health Research}, author={Uneke, C. J.}, year={2010}, month={Jul.}, pages={86–99} }