Factors affecting the uptake of preventive chemotherapy treatment for schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection that affects nearly 220 million people worldwide. Long-term effects include anaemia, growth stunting, bladder cancer and infertility. Currently, the main approach to schistosomiasis control involves mass preventive chemotherapy treatment. Current guidelines recommend treating 75% of school-aged children but many programmes struggle to achieve this target. This study conducted a comprehensive review of factors conditioning the uptake of treatment in sub-Saharan Africa across different levels of analysis: individual, interpersonal, organisational, community and policy.