Prevention and control of intestinal parasitic infections: WHO Technical Report Series N°749

Overview

Intestinal parasitic infections are distributed virtually throughout the world, with high prevalence rates in many regions. Amoebiasis, ascariasis, hookworm infection, and trichuriasis are among the ten most common infections in the world. Although mortality from these infections is relatively low, complications are not uncommon and many cases need hospital care. In many countries, malabsorption, diarrhoea, blood loss, impaired work capacity, and reduced growth rate due to intestinal parasitic infections constitute important health and social problems. Furthermore, other parasitic infections such as abdominal angiostrongyliasis, intestinal capillariasis, and strongyloidiasis are of local or regional public health concern.

The prevention and control of intestinal parasitic infections are now more feasible than ever before owing to the discovery of safe and efficacious drugs, the improvement and simplification of some diagnostic procedures, and advances in parasite population biology. In recent years, general health care strategies have emphasized preventive medicine and community cooperation in the control of endemic disease and have created a favourable climate for the design and implementation of control measures against intestinal parasitic infections.

In many countries, endemic intestinal parasitic infections are closely related to economic and social developmental processes and therefore their control may be a sensitive issue, both socially and politically. In others, the control of intestinal parasitic infections has proved a useful entry point for other primary health care activities, e.g., in family planning, child care, health education, and nutrition.

The present report includes some of the scientific information reviewed by the WHO Scientific Group of Intestinal Protozoan and Helmintic Infections in 1980. However, in this report a special effort has been made to present practical information on the control of intestinal parasitic infections that can be readily used by those authorities wishing to take action against these major health problems. Thus, it is directed mainly towards the following five groups:

• Those who are expected to endorse it and support it (UNICEF, WHO, and other international agencies);
• Those who will implement its recommendations (national health authorities, staff of national health services);
• Those responsible for the training of health workers (teaching staff of medical and nursing schools, university staff, trainers of community health workers);
• Those who will develop its scientific base further (scientific community, funding agencies, pharmaceutical industry); and
• Those who influence the opinion of the affected population at large (health educators, journalists, local leaders).

Associated documents

• Lutte contre les parasitoses intestinales: Série de Rapports Techniques N° 749
  
  
• Prevención y control de las infecciones parasitarias intestinales: Serie de Informes Técnicos N° 749