National Deworming Training Started in Mainland Tanzania

School Health Officers in 8 regions trained in April and May 2004

Three deworming training workshops have been held in mainland Tanzania and 125 District School Health Coordinators from Ministry of Health and from Ministry of Education have been trained in the control of schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminths (STH).

The workshops targeted staff in 46 districts. The first in April covered two regions (Lindi and Mtwara), and the two further workshops in May covered the six regions in the Lake (Victoria) and Western Zones. These six Lake regions will be offered treatment during the first phase of treatment in October 2004.

Each workshop lasted for 4 days, covering epidemiology, transmission, diagnosis and treatment of schistosomiasis and STH. On the final day training covered the administration of the Schistosoma haematobium rapid assessment questionnaire for determining disease prevalence. These questionnaires are being distributed to every primary school in the country to assist in disease risk mapping which will be used to identify treatment areas.

The workshops were held in Morogoro and there was a 100% attendance, despite some participants having to travel by bus through Uganda and Kenya to reach the training venue, a good indication of both the awareness of the problem and their enthusiasm to start the treatment programme in their areas.

Mainland Tanzania is divided into 21 regions composed of 113 districts, each of which has 2 assigned school health coordinators, one designated by the Ministry of Health and one by the Ministry of Education and Culture.

These Regional and District School Health Coordinators (RSHC and DSHC) are responsible for cascading deworming training to primary school teachers in their districts. Initial training for the RSHC’s occurred over 2001-2003 using funds from the Irish aid.

By the end of May the S. haematobium questionnaire had been distributed to all schools in 46 districts.

The National School Health Programme (NSHP) is managed by Dr Ursuline Nyandindi, who has also been assigned by the Ministry of Health to coordinate the National Control Programme for Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminths.