School-based deworming programme in Sanliurfa, Turkey: changing from externally funding phase to self-sufficient...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Control
• Global Health

Background:

• Externally funded deworming activities in Sanliurfa, Turkey, evolved into a self-sufficient, internally funded program.
• The program aimed to reduce the prevalence of helminthic infections among schoolchildren and women.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the sustainability and impact of a deworming program in its second year of operation.
• To assess the effectiveness of a teacher-led methodology for drug distribution and health education.

Main Methods:

• Distribution of 200,000 doses of mebendazole to schoolchildren, children, and women via schools and health centers.
• Data collection through questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups with teachers, parents, and schoolchildren.
• Stool sample analysis using the Kato-Katz technique to determine infection prevalence.

Main Results:

• Significant decline in helminthic infection prevalence from 77% to 35% in shantytown schoolchildren and 53% to 6.4% in apartment schoolchildren.
• Marked reduction in Ascaris lumbricoides (63.2% to 17%) and Trichuris trichiura (16.8% to 1.1%) prevalence in schoolchildren.
• Increased clean habits, with 53.5% of schoolchildren using soap after toilet use; 85.2% of women benefited from anthelmintic coverage.

Conclusions:

• The deworming program proved sustainable, with strong political commitment and multi-partner collaboration.
• The teacher-led approach was effective, and the low cost ($0.05 per child) makes it highly scalable.
• The program successfully improved child health through infection treatment and hygiene education.