Soil-transmitted helminthiases: number of children treated in 2013

Overview

 WHO recommends preventive chemotherapy (PC), which is a periodic administration of anthelminthic medicines (albendazole or mebendazole) as a public health intervention, for reducing morbidity and transmission of the 4 species of soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH): Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale in areas where the prevalence of STH is estimated to be over 20%.

In order to collect annual data on the number of children receiving PC and follow the global progress in implementation of this public health intervention, in 2009 the preventive chemotherapy and transmission control (PCT) databank was established.

The databank is available online and contains, by country and by year, the following STH data.