Ndum, Naomi C.
Trippler, Lydia
Mohammed, Ulfat A.
Ali, Anisa S.
Hattendorf, Jan
Utzinger, Jürg
Ali, Said M.
Knopp, Stefanie
Funding for this research was provided by:
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (ESKAS) Programme (No Grant ID)
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (PR00P3_179753 / 1, PR00P3_179753 / 1)
University of Basel
Article History
Received: 17 January 2024
Accepted: 29 April 2024
First Online: 17 June 2024
Declarations
:
: The study protocol of the SchistoBreak project, of which this study is part, received a waiver from the ethics committee of Switzerland (Ethikkommission Nordwest- und Zentralschweiz; EKNZ; project-ID: Req-2019-00951) before the onset of the project in 2019. Ethical approval of the study protocol was granted and is renewed annually by the Zanzibar Health Research Institute (ZAHRI). The latest extension was granted for one year in March 2023 (ZAHREC/04/AMEND/MARCH/2023/03).Potential participants were informed about the purpose and procedures of the study by the local research team. Upon selection, individuals invited to participate in the study were provided with an information sheet detailing the study procedures and potential risks and benefits involved in participation, and with an informed consent form (ICF). For all participating children < 18 years of age, the ICF was to be signed by their parents or legal guardians. Additionally, children aged 12–17 years were requested to sign an assent form for their participation in the study. Adult participants were invited to sign their own ICF. Only individuals who submitted a signed ICF were eligible to participate.The local language Kiswahili was used for communication during information meetings, informed consent procedure, questionnaire survey, and the FGD. All documents used for local application were translated from English into Kiswahili with the support of the local research team and validated before use.The collection of urine samples from patients in health facilities was done by the individual in private in the toilet of the health facility. Caregivers provided support to children aged 4 years if needed. All patients positive for microhaematuria or infected with <i>Schistosoma haematobium</i> were offered praziquantel (40 mg/kg oral dose) free of charge for treatment.
: Written informed consent for publication of her picture (with herself being shown) as a graphical abstract has been obtained from Naomi C. Ndum (first author of this paper).
: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.