Authors

A S OluwoleS IsiyakuC NwosuA A AleiroH MogajiA WilliamE ElhassanU F Ekpo ¹ Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria;  ² Kebbi State Ministry of Health, Birrin Kebbi, Nigeria;  ³ Sightsavers Accra, Ghana, Nigeria;  ⁴ Sightsavers Kaduna, Nigeria, Nigeria

Discussion

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) are a complementary intervention for the control of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infection. This study assessed the status of WASH and prevalence of STH in communities under mass drug administration (MDA) in two local government area of Kebbi state, Nigeria. The LGAs were Bagudo LGA (Ivermectin MDA), and Zuru LGA (Ivermectin and Albendazole MDA). Stool samples were collected from 919 participants and screened for STH infection, followed by an assessment of household and community WASH using a questionnaire. The prevalence of STH was 41.89% in Zuru LGA and 3.39% in Bagudo LGA. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the prevalence of STH in the two LGAs. Prevalence of STH infection was 46 (39.32%) in Zuru LGA for those practicing hand washing after using the toilet compared to 5 (1.90%) in Bagudo LGA. 432 (85.38%) of the participants in Bagudo LGA had access to toilet facility in their homes compared to 383 (92.74%) in Zuru LGA. 32.93% participants from Zuru LGA practice open defecation, compared to 9.68% in Bagudo LGA. 355(85.96%) of the participants in Zuru LGA used the stream as their source of domestic water, whereas 493(97.43%) participants in Bagudo used protected well as their sources of domestic water. Participants from Bugudo LGA (50.59%) are aware of the morbid effect of drinking unsafe water compared to 25.18% in Zuru LGA.

 

.