Soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Progress report on number of children treated with anthelminthic drugs: an update towards the 2010 global target

Overview

Progress report on number of children treated with anthelminthic drugs: an update towards the 2010 global target

In 2001, World Health Assembly Resolution 54.19 urged all Member States endemic for soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) to attain “a minimum target of regular administration of chemotherapy to at least 75% and up to 100% of all school-age children at risk of morbidity by 2010”.

In order to regularly report on progress towards the 2010 target, WHO established a databank to collate annual data on the number of school-age children (SAC, aged 5–14 years) who had received treatment against STH (usually albendazole or mebendazole).

While no target was set in the resolution for preschool-age children (PAC, aged 1–4 years), this age group is also increasingly targeted for anthelminthic treatment. Recent WHO recommendations emphasize both PAC and SAC as high-risk groups for STH.

This report presents data and figures on PAC and SAC for 2006. It updates data for 2003, 2004 and 2005 previously published in the WER.