Current Trends in the Control of Schistosomiasis Infections in the Tropics: A Narrative Review

A bstract Schistosomiasis is one of the most common neglected tropical illnesses worldwide, caused by the trematode worms known as Schistosoma . More than 800 million people are at risk of infection, with an estimated 251.4 million people being impacted across 78 countries. Africa accounts for more than 80% of the global infection rate, followed by the Western Pacific, South America, and the Eastern Mediterranean regions. Control of schistosomiasis has undergone significant changes in the past few years, aimed at reducing the morbidity burden of the disease and improving the health outcomes in the tropical regions. There is evidence that these strategies are effective in reducing the disease transmission and preventing reinfection. Although preventive chemotherapy is the principal strategy that remains to date, there is a need for new approaches to deal with issues like drug resistance, environmental contamination, and limited access to healthcare and health education in resource-constrained settings. With the aim of augmenting existing treatments and ensuring the long-lasting elimination of schistosomiasis in the tropics, new strategies are being explored by researchers and policymakers, such as the production of new diagnostic tools, vaccines, and integrated control measures. Therefore, this narrative review was conducted to synthesize current trends in the control of schistosomiasis in the tropics. An article search was conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. The keywords schistosomiasis, tropics, infection, and current trends were used. The review shows that the current trends in the management of schistosomiasis infections in the tropics follow a holistic and multisectoral approach.