Update: Tackling schistosomiasis in the Yemen

photo coutesy of www.english.globalarabnetwork.com

More than 45.5 million doses of the drug praziquantel have been distributed across Yemen to tackle schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis has been a leading cause of death, after malaria, in Yemen. During the past three years, the Yemeni health authorities—with financial and technical support from the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) - have distributed more than 45.5 million doses of the drug praziquantel to mainly school-age children. Treatment will be expanded to millions more.

Awareness campaigns were also held as part of the effort. As a result infection rates have dropped by more than half. Building on this, the scope of addressing diseases related to poverty has been expanded to look at treating soil transmitted infections (STH) and trachoma as well.

To fully understand the significance of the success of fighting this disease in the Yemen, it is important to be aware of the context. Yemen is in an almost perpetual state of turmoil economically, demographically, and in terms of domestic security. At the same time, it is affected by regional tensions. Illiteracy is about 70% for women, roughly double that of men. Yemen’s mountainous terrain makes outreach efforts difficult.

Despite this, the government, other stakeholders, and communities persevered, their success attributed to several factors—most noticeably, community mobilization. Local communities took part in micro-planning exercises for the campaign, securing community ownership and tailoring outreach efforts, as well as distributing drugs and information, and setting-up health care sites.

Religious leaders, community leaders, teachers and health care providers, all spread the word about the disease and the treatment available for it. Messages were broadcast on television and radio before and during the campaign. Yemen health campaign staff shared information on loudspeakers in markets and bus parks. Posters displayed basic information and where to receive treatment.

Mobile health teams worked hard to reach these populations, and female health workers and volunteers helped encourage girls and women to visit the health stations. Through massive community mobilization of 30,000 community members and health workers, a record-breaking 9.6 million people were treated for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted diseases in two separate four-day public health campaigns in 2013. This was compared to the 1.9 million Yemenis treated during the whole of 2012.

The commitment and collaboration between the Yemeni Government, World Bank, WHO, and the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, contributed to the overall success of the campaign.