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Updated: Aug 11, 2025

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
Published on: August 22, 2012
[Intestinal parasites in schoolchildren, public health problem. Intervention from the National Integrated Health
Walner D Da Rosa1, Ana María Acuña2, Gustavo Giachetto3
1WD: MD. Esp. Parasitología y Micología Clínica, Intendencia de Montevideo, Departamento de Parasitología y Micología. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República. Montevideo, Uruguay. ddarosa@higiene.edu.uy.
Objectives:
To generate a model of intervention, from the National Integrated Health System (NIHS, Uruguay), with school facilitators of health, web resources and approach from the schools to the community.
Materials And Methods:
Descriptive cross-sectional study of population base using a random sampling, non-clustered, during the months of April and December 2016. This was based in the model of schoolchildren health promoters, the use of web resources and community approach with the school as the centre of actions.
Results:
The prevalence of parasites was 14% for Giardiasis (6,5 and 22%) (IC95%: 11-17) and 26% for Oxiurosis (IC95%: 22-30) (20 and 44%). Soil transmitted helminthiases were geo-referenced: we found 45 clusters, mainly in slums without basic services.
Conclusions:
These worrying results show that there are regions in Montevideo (Uruguay) with high levels of faecal home and environmental contamination. Community approaches with prevention activities from NIHS may have a positive impact on these vulnerable populations.
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