Prevalence Mapping Throughout Niger
Above right: Nigerien lab technician explaining the survey to young girls in the Maradi Region
Far left:lab technicians reading stool slides in Nigerien school during prevalence survey Left: One of the mapping survey teams |
The
national schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminth control programme of
Niger (PNLBG) has embarked on a prevalence mapping survey in districts not
previously covered by the 2004 treatment campaign. Two teams of five
people, which include three lab technicians, began visiting schools and
villages throughout Niger in the middle of April. A total of 116 schools or
villages have been randomly selected to participate in the study. In each
locale 60 school-aged children (30 boys and 30 girls), between 5 and 15
years of age, are selected. Each child is asked to provide both a urine and
stool sample to determine the prevalence of S.hematobium and both
S.mansoni and soil transmitted helminths respectively. The results from
the 116 schools or villages will provide a representative prevalence map of
the disease throughout Niger.
By
the end of April 2005 PNLBG had covered both Tahoua and Maradi Regions,
where 27 villages or schools were surveyed, and moved onto the Dosso
Region. Mapping of the Zinder, Agadez and Diffa Regions will be mapped
after the summer holidays (October 2005).