Intestinal schistosomiasis: prevalence, knowledge, attitude and practices among school children in an endemic area of North Western Tanzania.

Objective: Knowledge, attitudes and preventative practices of risk groups for neglected tropical diseases such as intestinal schistosomiasis are important aspects for their control. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni, knowledge, perceptions and preventative practices of school children towards schistosomiasis in the Sengerema district, Tanzania. Methods: We conducted a crosssectional study using 400 randomly selected school children. Single faecal specimens were obtained from children and screened for S. mansoni using Kato Katz technique. Amongst those children who submitted faecal specimen, 200 randomly selected children responded to a structured questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni was 64.3% (257/400; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 59.3, 69.0). Less than 50% of the interviewed children demonstrated an understanding of control measures and transmission of schistosomiasis. About 87.5% (175/200; 95% CI = 82.1, 91.7) of the respondents reported to have heard of schistosomiasis and the main source of information were schools (34.5 %). 84% of the children reported going to the lake and 68% reported to participate in paddy cultivation. About 40.5% of the respondents associated schistosomiasis with water contact and 39.5% accurately quoted symptoms associated with schistosomiasis. Knowledge about transmission increased with age (p=0.005). The control measures mentioned by 34.5% of the respondents were in line with the World Health Organization’s control strategies against schistosomiasis. Most of respondents (96.5%) reported the use of toilets. A majority (82%) of the respondents reported that they had participated in previous mass drug administration. Conclusion: The prevalence of schistosomiasis was high despite repeated previous mass drug administration campaigns. There is a need to incorporate practical public health education in the school curriculum for the purpose of increasing knowledge and promoting behavioral changes in school children to improve disease control.