258144 Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infection and Effectiveness Assessment of Preventive Chemotherapy in Melanesian Community

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Shih-Huai Hsiao, MPH, Lecturer , Superintendent Office; Department of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, 80756 Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Jih-Jin Tsai, MD, PhD , Tropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Taiwan, 80756 Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Tenneth Dalipanda, Medical Officer , Ministry of Health & Medical Services, Solomon Islands, Honiara, Solomon Islands
Wen-Ter Lai, Professor, MD , Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Jiunn-Ren Wu , Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Sheng-Hsiung Hsu, Professor , Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
BACKGROUND. Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) blight the lives of 1 billion people worldwide. Solomon Islanders are some of them. Intestinal parasitic infection is one of important NTDs. To plan and manage effectively, and to mobilize resources for controlling of soil/skin or eating related transmitted helminthiasis(SSTH) is essential to evaluate effectiveness of preventive chemotherapy (PC) in pre and school-aged children. Although WHO estimated there was over eighteen hundred thousand children needing PC in SI, there was no reports to present PC's effectiveness of SSTH. Aim of the study is to evaluate effectiveness of PC in children in SI. MATERIAL & METHOD. 518 samples were randomly investigated prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections by Merthiolate-iodine-formaldehyde method. Three medicines were used to treat the trongyloides stercoralis, Hook Worm and Ascaris lumbricoide(AL) and other parasites. The effectiveness assessment of PC was executed in two weeks later. RESULT. The leading pathogen were hookworm (HW) (50.0%), AL (36.68%), TT (22.20%) and SS (15.44%). After PC, the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis was statistically significantly decreased from 58.49% to 10.16% and eating related infection was from 58.69% to 12.24%. CONCLUSION. Compared with previous SSTH prevalence reported, intestinal parasitic infections were till suffering school children. Using PC to control SSTH is still effectiveness. We suggest the PC should be prolonged to all school children in SI and effectiveness of PC should be regularly monitored. Nevertheless the PC is not the best method to eliminate SSTH, integrated national health policy and implantation method should be reviewed systematically by government and stakeholders.

Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Let people know the Neglected tropical diseases--soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH)still suffer the children who live in South Pacific Countries

Keywords: Child Health, School Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the co-principal investigator of multiple federally funded grants focusing on the public health. Among my scientific interest has been the development of strategies for preventing NTD sufferring, promoting maternal and children health, preventing Non-Communicable Disease burnden and care.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4359.0: Poster Session: Disease Surveillance & Control