Trippler, Lydia
Taylor, Lyndsay
Ali, Mohammed Nassor
Najim, Sarah Omar
Khamis, Khamis Seif
Hattendorf, Jan
Juma, Saleh
Ame, Shaali Makame
Kabole, Fatma
Ali, Said Mohammed
Knopp, Stefanie
Funding for this research was provided by:
University of Basel
Article History
Received: 29 November 2023
Accepted: 21 June 2024
First Online: 2 July 2024
Declarations
:
: The SchistoBreak study protocol was waived by the ethics committee in Switzerland (Ethikkommission Nordwest- und Zentralschweiz; EKNZ) on October 23, 2019 (Req-2019-00951) and approved by the ethics committee in Zanzibar (Zanzibar Health Research Institute; ZAHRI) on December 13, 2019 (ZAHREC/03/PR/December/2019/12). The renewed approvals for the protocol were granted by ZAHRI on December 2, 2020 (ZAHREC/01/RN/December/2020/10) and February 23, 2021 (ZAHREC/04/AMEND/FEB/2021/01). The study was prospectively registered at ISRCTN (ISCRCTN91431493). At the onset of the study and repeatedly before each survey and the intervention period, meetings were held with the community leaders and school principals of the study area to explain research aims and study and intervention procedures. Community leaders and school principals were requested to inform their communities and parents of the schoolchildren about the forthcoming schistosomiasis activities. All individuals participating in the surveys from November 2020 to March 2021 and from November 2021 to March 2022, respectively, and in the 5T intervention period from May 2021 to October 2021 were informed in detail about the objectives and procedures of the study by the local research team and a leaflet that was provided together with informed consent forms. Individuals that were invited to participate in the study could ask questions to the study team. Moreover, the information leaflet included the telephone number of the local principal investigator so that participants or parents of participating children could call in case they had additional questions. Study participants provided written informed consent for their participation. For participating children aged < 18 years, written consent was obtained from their parents or legal guardians. Children aged 12–17 years additionally signed an assent form themselves. Individuals that tested microhaematuria-positive or <i>S. haematobium</i>-positive during the annual surveys or 5T activities were offered treatment with a single dose of praziquantel (40 mg/kg body weight).
: Not applicable.
: The authors declare no competing interests.