Chronicle Editor
Yoliswa Dube-Moyo, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief
The Ministry of Health and Child Care is targeting more than 2,5 million children across the country in its mass treatment for bilharzia, a neglected tropical disease which is prevalent in Zimbabwe.
Bilharzia and intestinal worms are neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) widespread in the country, which the ministry aims to eliminate by the year 2030.
The other NTDs are blinding trachoma and elephantiasis or lymphatic filariasis.
In Matabeleland region, bilharzia is prevalent in Insiza, Beitbridge, Binga, Umguza and Matobo districts.
The acting director epidemiology and disease control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Isaac Phiri said the country has been implementing mass treatment for bilharzia since 2012, targeting pre-school and school age children.
“We also target adults in districts where these diseases are prevalent.
We embarked on this year’s mass treatments in 43 districts which still remain endemic for bilharzia but at low intensity with the average prevalence having gone down from 22 percent to five percent thanks to the measures put in place to reduce the burden of the disease,” said Dr Phiri.
He said the measures put in place to reduce the burden of bilharzia include mass treatments using praziquantel and health education.
“The target age for bilharzia is from five years to 15 years in schools and in the community.
The treatments are free and no one pays to access the medications.
This year the programme was supposed to run from April 4 to April 9 but it will run until month end so that we reach the target population.
The total number of children targeted is 2 546 177 in and out of school in the targeted districts,” said Dr Phiri.
“We started the programme before schools were closed and we’re also following up in communities to include adults so that they also get the medications.
“The programme was slotted towards the end of the term to pave way for another equally important intervention which the ministry was implementing in schools, that of Covid-19 vaccination.
So far, the programme has reached over 80 percent of the targeted population in most districts.”
Dr Phiri said the bilharzia mass treatment programme is being run in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education with support from Higherlife Foundation and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Meanwhile, children are susceptible to bilharzia as they often swim or play in water.
Bilharzia parasites live in water and can penetrate the skin upon contact. Swimming or doing laundry in infested rivers, lakes and lagoons pose a high risk.
Experts say the bilharzia parasite can stay in the body for years and cause great damage. Research shows that bilharzia affects both sexes and all ages.
The WHO has recognised bilharzia as a major public health problem in the world and many countries, such as Egypt have mass treated school children and successfully controlled the disease.
The most well-known symptom of bilharzia is blood in the urine while new research shows that bilharzia also affects women’s genitals.
The genital bilharzia may cause spotting, sores, smelly discharge, infertility and over 42 million women are affected worldwide. Both sexes are at the risk of becoming infertile.
— @Yolisswa
Online Reporter