Preparation in full swing for the first large-scale combined schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminth (STH) control in Ethiopia.

In preparation for the first large-scale control of combined schistosomiasis and STH control in Ethiopia, the Federal Ministry of Health held a ‘Training of Trainers’ and micro-planning workshop on 12-14 January 2015.
This workshop brought together representatives from the Health and Education Bureaux of the five regions (Oromia, Amhara, SNNPR, Benishangul-Gumuz, and Somali) that will be implementing control in the upcoming campaign.

The first treatment campaign, due in the first week of April 2015, will target the treatment of 3.2 million school-aged children in the 90 districts with the highest levels of infection.

The workshop covered the aims and plans for deworming, the tools and approaches that will be used, practical sessions in the use of the recording and reporting forms, and role play exercises.

Training follows a cascade approach - those who have been trained will take the messages and materials to the Zonal level, and from there to the District level, where the Health Extension Workers and the teachers who actually co-ordinate treatment will be trained.

The workshop involved trainers from the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Ministry of Education, the SCI (Mike French), and with Kenyan colleagues from Deworm the World Initiative (Laban Kilui and Lorina Kagosha), who are providing technical assistance to the national deworming programme in Kenya.

The April campaign will be the kick-start for national control of schistosomiasis and STH in the country which aims to control these diseases over the next five years.

The deworming programme is being led by the Government of Ethiopia, with technical support from SCI, Evidence Action – Deworm the World Initiative, and funding support from The END Fund, DFID, and significant SCI Private Donations.