Using Community-Based Volunteers to Reach Non-Enrolled School Aged Children Through Community-Directed Treatment of Schistosomiasis in School-Aged Children in Rural Northern Ghana

April 19, 2007 updated by: DBL -Institute for Health Research and Development

Using Community-Based Volunteers to Reach Non-Enrolled School-Aged Children Through Community-Directed Treatment of Schistosomiasis in School-Aged Children in Rural Northern Ghana

Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminhtiasis occur throughout the developing world and are most prevalent in the poorest communitites. These worms have been linked to several nutritional and intellectual deficiencies in many endemic populations worldwide. Helminth control, though crucial has been neglected for varied reasons. Currently, interests towards the control of neglected diseases including schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths has been revived through many interventions including repeated chemotherapy to help improve public health outcomes and prevent long term morbidity. This will contribute to achieving several of the Millennium Development Goals at a favourable cost. A community-directed treatment of human schistosomiasis and STH in school-aged children in rural notrhern Ghana using praziquantel and albendazole is proposed. It is planned to test the hypothesis that community-based volunteers are non-inferior and more cost effective than rural school teachers at reaching school-aged children.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

The primary objectives of the study are:

To compare coverage rate of community based volunteers and rural school teachers in the distribution of praziquantel and albendazole to scholl-aged children To determine the cost effectiveness of using community based volunteers to distribute praziquantel and albendazole to school-aged children in rural Ghana.

Study methods:

A list of all school-aged children (6-15 years) in the study area will be generated from the Navrongo Demographic Surveillance System database and registers produced and given to all school teachers and community based volunteers who will be responsible for the distribution of the antihelminithics. The school teachers and community based volunteers will provide the drugs to both enrolled and non-enrolled school-aged children. Percentage coverage of school-aged children will be the outcome measure and compated between the school teachers and the community based volunteers. Stool and urine samples will be collected from a representative sample (916) of the children for laboratory analysis before the administration of the drugs for baseline data. Sample collection and laboratory analysis will be repeated 6 and 12 months after the first round of chemotherapy.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment

916

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Ghana
- - Navrongo, Ghana
    - The Navrongo Health Research Centre

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

6 years to 15 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Children between 6 and 15 years of age

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

DBL -Institute for Health Research and Development

Investigators

Principal Investigator: Francis Anto, MD, Navrongo Health Research Centre, Ghana

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

September 1, 2006

Study Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2007

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 19, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 19, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

April 20, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

April 20, 2007

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 19, 2007

Last Verified

April 1, 2007

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

SRP-GH-FA-06

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.