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Article History

Received: 31 December 2025

Accepted: 2 June 2026

First Online: 6 June 2026

Declarations

:

: Ethical approval for this study was granted by the Gulu University Research and Ethics Committee (Reference: GUREC-2022-323) and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (Reference: UNCST-HS2571ES). Permission to conduct the study was also obtained from district education officers and headteachers of the participating schools. Written informed consent was secured from all parents or legal guardians. Additionally, written assent was obtained from all children aged 8 years and above. All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committees and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. All methods were carried out in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. To ensure confidentiality, all participant data were anonymized using identification codes. All children diagnosed with S. mansoni infection during the study were treated with praziquantel at a dose of 40 mg/kg, free of charge, in accordance with national treatment guidelines.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.