Bibliographic Info
GuidelineGuideline: preventive chemotherapy to control soil-transmitted helminth infections in at-risk population groups
Year of Publication2017
Issuing InstitutionWorld Health Organization
Recommendation
Status
Maintained
Recommended in favor
Conditional
Certainty of evidence
Moderate
Preventive chemotherapy (deworming), using single-dose albendazole (400 mg) or mebendazole (500 mg), is recommended as a public health intervention for pregnant women, after the first trimester, living in areas where both: (i) the baseline prevalence of hookworm and/or T. trichiura infection is 20% or higher among pregnant women, and (ii) anaemia is a severe public health problem, with a prevalence of 40% or higher among pregnant women,a in order to reduce the worm burden of hookworm and T. trichiura infection
Notes and Remarks
- 1.For the most recent estimates of prevalence of anaemia, visit the WHO-hosted Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Information System
- 2.l Provision of safe water, sanitation and hygiene services is fundamental, to break the cycle of infection and reinfection and sustainably control soil-transmitted helminth infections. Collaboration between programmes for control of soil-transmitted helminth infection and water, sanitation and hygiene programmes is essential to ensure prioritization of water and sanitation services to areas that are endemic for soil-transmitted helminths.
- 3.Deworming should be delivered together with promotion of health and hygiene, to reduce transmission by encouraging healthy behaviours, such as hand washing, use of footwear and proper disposal of faeces.
- 4.Routine monitoring for effective coverage and evaluation of the impact of the intervention should be an integral part of preventive chemotherapy programmes, to help inform the decision on continuation or cessation of the programme.
- 5.Member States may consider this intervention for pregnant women after debate and involvement from stakeholders. They should base their decision on their context, health-system infrastructure and ability to monitor and evaluate results.
Also Featured In
This recommendation also appears in the following guidelines:
Originally Developed
Guideline
WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience
Year2016
InstitutionWHO