Diagnosis, Treatment and Control of Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections

Dear Colleagues,

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections affect 1.5 billion people worldwide, with preschool children, school-age children, and women of reproductive age being the most at risk. The majority of these populations are among the most disadvantaged communities with poor access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. STH infections are transmitted through ingesting eggs or skin penetration by larvae. Moderate- to heavy-intensity infections may cause anemia, malnutrition, impaired physical and cognitive development in children, and an increased risk of maternal and infant mortality and low birth weight in women of reproductive age (WHO, 2020; 2023a). Control strategies include preventive chemotherapy (PC) in at-risk populations, providing adequate sanitation and waste management facilities, and promoting improved hygiene practices (WHO, 2020). There has been a decline in disability-adjusted life years lost to STH infections from over 4 million in 2000 to 1.9 million in 2019, which is parallel to the increase in the global coverage of PC from <5% to 60% (Montresor et al., 2022; WHO, 2023b). Significant challenges in this control include disruption to health service deliveries caused by COVID-19, leading to a reduction in school-based deworming campaigns and mass drug administration coverage, limited laboratory methods for diagnosis, limited quantities and difficulties in the procurement of PC drugs, and increased risk for developing drug resistance (WHO, 2020). Several milestones have been made toward the control of STH infections, including the development of guidelines for the restriction of strongyloidiasis, the advancement of a monitoring and evaluation framework for STH programs, the publication of a target product profile for diagnostic tests, and conducting drug efficacy assessment studies (WHO, 2023b). Despite these, there is still a need to increase political commitment to ensure sustainable financing, develop more effective medicines, and develop a mapping and surveillance system to monitor drug resistance and achieve the 2030 targets (WHO, 2020).

This Special Issue welcomes submissions focusing on updates, challenges, and opportunities in the diagnosis, treatment and control of STH infections.

References:

Montresor, A., Mwinzi, P., Mupfasoni, D., & Garba, A. (2022). Reduction in DALYs lost due to soil-transmitted helminthiases and schistosomiasis from 2000 to 2019 is parallel to the increase in coverage of the global control programmes. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 16(7), e0010575. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010575

World Health Organization (WHO). (2020). Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals, A road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021-2030. Geneva, Switzerland. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240010352

World Health Organization (WHO). (2023a). Soil-transmitted helminth infections. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/soil-transmitted-helminth-infections

World Health Organization (WHO). (2023b). Global report on neglected tropical diseases 2023. Geneva, Switzerland. https://www.who.int/teams/control-of-neglected-tropical-diseases/global-report-on-Neglected-tropical-diseases-2023

Prof. Dr. Vicente Belizario
Dr. Poom Adisakwattana
Guest Editors

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• control
• diagnosis
• treatment of soil-transmitted helminths
• neglected tropical diseases