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OVER one million people received free oral treatment for bilharzia and soil intestinal worms during a mass treatment exercise conducted in over 40 districts across the country.
Bilharzia and intestinal worms are two of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) prevalent in Zimbabwe targeted for elimination by the year 2030.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) said it conducted Mass Drug Administration (MDAs) for Bilharzia and intestinal worms in 40 districts which are endemic.
“Target population was one year to 15 years,” the statement read.
“A total of 2,5 million was targeted and those treated or received medication were 1,319,927 with a coverage of 52 percent.
“This was a huge success for us as this campaign was done during Covid-19 response under difficult conditions.
“We will be conducting disease specific MDA again this year targeting trachoma but also these two specific diseases.”
MoHCC Epidemiology and Disease Control Acting Director, Dr Isaac Phiri, said the prevalence had gone down thanks to the measures being put in place.
“We embarked on this year’s mass treatments in 43 districts, which still remain endemic for bilharzia, but at low intensity, with an average prevalence having gone down from 22 percent to five percent, thanks to measures put in place to reduce the burden of the disease,” he said.
“The country has been implementing mass treatments for bilharzia since 2012, targeting pre-school and school age children, but also we target adults in districts where these diseases are prevalent.”
Zimbabwe has made significant progress in reducing the burden of neglected tropical diseases such as bilharzia, intestinal worms and trachoma, through regular mass drug administrations.
Although the country has not yet eliminated these diseases completely, the impact assessment results of 2019 show that the prevalence of these NTDs have been reduced by 80 percent and fewer districts will be needing MDAs each year going forward.
Online Reporter