Our partnership with Côte D'Ivoire

Since 2012, we have been working with the Ivorian Ministry of Health (MoH) to support the
Programme National de Lutte contre les Maladies Tropicales Négligées à Chimiothérapie Préventive (PNLMTN-CP) to deliver the schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis mass drug administration (MDA) programme.

We also collaborate closely with the MoH on important research, including the Schistosomiasis Oversampling Study (SOS) and reassessment mapping. Additionally, we are moving towards a broader approach for parasitic disease control and elimination, including supporting important cross-sectoral innovations, such as female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) prevention.

Prevalence of parasitic diseases in Côte d’Ivoire

Côte d’Ivoire is endemic for all five Preventive Chemotherapy – Neglected Tropical Diseases (PC-NTDs), including schistosomiasis (SCH) and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, and trachoma.

Baseline mapping data (2012-14 and 2019) shows that all 113 districts in Côte d’Ivoire are endemic for SCH. According to the 2011 World Health Organization (WHO) endemicity categories, five districts are categorised as having high prevalence, 50 as moderate prevalence and 58 as low prevalence.

All 113 districts are endemic for STH; however, based on WHO treatment guidelines, mass treatment for STH is only required in 40 of these districts.

The MoH intends to update their treatment strategy in 2024 based on the results of reassessment mapping and in accordance with the updated 2022 WHO guidelines for SCH.

Our support

The MoH has a National NTD Plan aiming to contribute to the control and elimination of NTDs as a public health problem through coordinated and effective management of interventions. As such, we collaborate with the MoH on research and innovation to continue gathering evidence to inform effective strategic planning. Aligned with their aim to move to sub-district implementation of their SCH treatment programme, we have supported data collection through reassessment mapping. The data generated will be used to inform more targeted treatment, aiming to reach the areas which require preventive chemotherapy the most.

“Putting an end to the transmission of all neglected tropical diseases will bring certain happiness to each individual and to the community. Together (PNLMTN CP Côte d’Ivoire & Unlimit Health) we can share this lasting joy” – Dr Norbert Dje Ngoran, NTD Director

“Si l’espoir fait vivre, alors concrétiser l’arrêt de la transmission de toute maladie tropicale négligée amène un bonheur certain à chaque homme et à la communauté. Ensemble (PNLMTN CP Côte d’Ivoire & Unlimit Health) partageons cette joie durable.” – Dr Norbert Dje Ngoran, Directeur NTD

Treatment delivery

Unlimit Health primarily supports the delivery of school and community-based treatment for SCH, to both school-age children (SAC) and adults. Since STH and LF are both treated with Albendazole, where STH treatments are not delivered through the LF programme, Unlimit Health supports the MDA either with the co-administration of treatment for both SCH and STH or with STH treatment only.

In 2022, the PNLMTN-CP implemented SCH/STH MDA targeting 92 districts and providing 4,798,007 treatments.

“In the past, bilharzia was little known.
Thanks to training, we now know that this disease exists.”

 

Midwife Poholé Lessenon Alida,
Urban Health Centre of Grand-Zattry

 

Cross-sectoral approaches

• FGS prevention: We are working closely with the MoH to continue developing and refining their FGS prevention strategy. Essential to this is the collaboration with other sectors such as the HIV/AIDS Programme and the Mother and Child Health Programmes within the MoH.
• ADOPT programme: We are collaborating with the MoH and partners from the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium to prepare for the introduction of a potential new treatment option for SCH in pre-SAC (less than five years old) into endemic communities.

“Collaborating with the NTD Programme within the MoH in Côte d’Ivoire is incredibly rewarding because of their dedication to controlling and eliminating NTDs, as well as exploring innovative ways to effectively prevent schistosomiasis-associated morbidity, such as FGS.”

 

Ashley Preston, Technical Advisor: Access & FGS