Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of Deworming Activities: A Contribution to the Control of Soil-Transmitted

Abstract

[Introduction] Of the diseases that affect human beings, the group made up of neglected infectious diseases (NID) is prominent on the unfinished health agenda because of their causes and consequences. These diseases, which have been with humankind since its origins, thrive among poor and disadvantaged populations living in areas of widespread poverty with scarce resources and little opportunity to improve their quality of life. NIDs have serious repercussions for individuals, families, and communities in developing countries, which are reflected in the disease burden, lost productivity, deepening poverty, and the high costs of long-term medical care. There is tremendous potential to reduce the incidence of these diseases to the point where they no longer pose a public health problem, which is all the more reason to deploy additional efforts to eliminate them. With new technologies and strategies and improved health services infrastructure, particularly primary health care, these diseases can be controlled and potentially eliminated. Against this backdrop, the Member States of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) adopted Resolution CD49.R19 at the 2009 meeting of the Directing Council. The resolution establishes targets for the control and elimination of NIDs in the Region by 2015 and the strategies that should be applied to this end. Soil-transmitted helminth infections are one of the most important NID. An estimated 49 million children under the age of 15 in 30 Latin American and Caribbean countries are at risk of contracting this disease, which not only has the potential to affect their growth and development, but can have irreversible consequences that carry into adulthood. Safe, low-cost drugs are available for the control of soil-transmitted helminth infections. Preventive measures can reach most families through joint, intersectoral activities to deliver the required drugs and improve access to safe drinking water, basic sanitation, and education. These activities also need to focus on reducing the negative impact of health determinants that enable soiltransmitted helminths to continue to pose a public health problem.