Launch of Mass Drug Administration Campaign against Schistosomiasis and
Soil-transmitted Helminths in Mopti Region.
 The
launch of the treatment campaign against schistosomiasis and STH in Mopti
region was held on 18 May 2005 at the Groupe Scolaire Robert Cissé
at Mopti. Representatives from the administrative and political authorities
attended the event. Many of the local population were present. The launch
was covered by regional media and was broadcast by national television and
radio.
This day marks the implementation in this region of Mali of the MoH’s
Action Plan against Schistosomiasis and STH, thanks to the support of the
Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI). This region is well known for the
Pays Dogon, where beautiful small villages are situated along the
Falaise de Bandiagara.
 The
objective
Following WHO recommendations, the objective of the campaign is to treat
with praziquantel and albendazole at least 75% of school-age children and
high-risk groups such as men and women professionally exposed to the risk of
morbidity. However, the National Coordinator, Dr Robert Dembélé is confident
that this 75% threshold will be exceeded.
The framework
The mass treatment campaign was carried out in Mopti region immediately
following the official launch. All villages where schistosomiasis is endemic
were targeted. These were identified one by one by the MoH teams based at
Cercle (equivalent to District) level, and communicated to the National
Coordination team during a workshop held at regional level in April.
The target
 The
treatment focused primarily on all children aged 5 to 15, both
school-enrolled and non-enrolled, living in schistosomiasis endemic areas.
However, in the Delta Interieur region, a huge wetland flooded by
the River Niger every year, because the disease is a major public health
problem there, the treatment was also offered to all people older than 15
years.
In total, more than 1 million individuals were targeted for treatment in
six days.
 The
delivery and supervision
After training on how to deliver praziquantel and de-worming tablets, the
mass treatment campaign was implemented by teachers through schools, health
workers in health posts and community drug distributors as mobile teams in
villages and communities.
Drug distribution activities were under the supervision of district-level
and regional-level MoH and MoE staff, and under the coordination of the
Programme National de Lutte contre la Schistosomiase et les Geohelminthiases,
in collaboration with the Centre National de l’Education (CNE), and
the Centre National d’Information et de Communication pour la Santé (CNIECS),
and other partners. |
