Schistosomiasis remains a public health problem in several parts of the world, particularly in Africa where 92% of all the people requiring preventive chemotherapy for schistosomiasis live. Data on treatment are collected to measure the progress being made towards achieving the targets set by World Health Assembly resolutions to reach at least 75% all school-aged children who are at risk of morbidity from schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases.

Of the 78 countries considered endemic for schistosomiasis, only 52 countries have populations requiring preventive chemotherapy. The total number of people in need of preventive chemotherapy globally in 2016 was 207.7 million, of which 111.8 million were school-aged children. Data reported in 2016 was 206.5 million, of which 111.3 million were school-aged children. Data reported in 2016 from 36 countries for treatment of school-aged children and from 21 countries for treatment of adults show that more than 86 million people received preventive chemotherapy for schistosomiasis globally, which is equivalent to 52% global coverage for school-aged children and 14% for adults.