Soil Transmitted Helminth Infections and the Associated Risk Factors in Pre Primary School Children, Kiwangwa Rural Ward, Bagamoyo District, Tanzania. Asian J. Med. Pharm. Res. 6 (3) 24 31.
Pre primary school children remain hard to reach the mass drug administration programmes in control of soil transmitted helminth infections. In the present study, the stool samples of 115 pre primary school children in Kiwangwa rural ward, Bagamoyo district, Tanzania were studied in order to determine the prevalence and intensity of soil transmitted helminths and their relationships with the associated risk factors. The samples were analyzed with the Kato Katz technique. The intensity of infections was categorized according to the World Health Organization limits as light, moderate or high. The overall mean prevalence was found to be 3.8% Regarding the intensity, among the 115 pre primary school children four children were found positive. One student had co infection of Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm with light intensity, two children had moderate intensity infection of hookworm and one child had moderate intensity infection of Ascaris lumbricoides. The prevalence of soil transmitted helminth infection was higher in children who did not have: treated water for domestic use, own toilet facilities, practice of wearing shoes and washing hands before eating and after defecation. This study highlights the importance of hygiene in pre primary school children as an additional opportunity for mass drug administration programme in Tanzania. In addition, community participation in providing health education to children at home should be improved as well as the risk factors such as toilet facilities, hand washing facilities, water for domestic use to avoid and reduce the transmission of soil transmitted helminths.