A pivotal stakeholder meeting on introducing paediatric praziquantel (arpraziquantel) in Senegal was recently held, with support from TDR. This event brought together key stakeholders from various sectors, including healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers and representatives from the community, international partner institutions and non-governmental organizations. All were united by a common goal: to advance the fight against schistosomiasis in pre-school aged children.
One of the key outcomes of the three-day meeting was the development of a comprehensive roll-out plan, which includes an implementation research study on integrated strategies for the delivery of paediatric praziquantel.
Dr Ndéyé M’backé Kane championed the roll-out plan as coordinator of the national neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) control programme in Senegal: "The introduction of paediatric praziquantel in Senegal will be a major step forward for control and elimination [of schistosomiasis], as preschool-aged children were neglected in efforts to combat this disease,” she said. “I am generally satisfied with the progress made on the action plan, particularly regarding stakeholder coordination and the planning of key steps for the pilot phase, although challenges remain to ensure effective and equitable implementation."
Arpraziquantel is a child-friendly formulation derived from praziquantel for treating schistosomiasis, which can have several serious effects on young children, such as anaemia, cognitive impairment and malnutrition. It is estimated that one-third of children are infected in high-prevalence areas, with a higher rate of infection (45.3%) in children aged 1-4 years, who will benefit from the paediatric formulation of praziquantel.
This new formulation will allow for easier treatment of children thanks to a soluble tablet with a sweet flavour, also enabling mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns where households can be offered the treatment from 2 years of age. This meeting was a crucial step in crafting a strategy to introduce paediatric praziquantel in high-prevalence regions.
During the meeting, the achievements led by the National Control Programme for Schistosomiasis in Senegal was discussed, along with prior experiences of integrating schistosomiasis and malaria control activities. Updates on the clinical development of arpraziquantel were also provided. Additionally, the United Republic of Tanzania's experience with the Strengthening Capacity for Delivery and Uptake of Paediatric Praziquantel for Schistosomiasis (STEPPS) project was shared as well as the generic protocol for evaluating various delivery models for arpraziquantel, based on Tanzania's experience. The development of the generic protocol is being led by TDR.
A first action plan was drafted and presented to Ministry of Health representatives. Moving forward, the focus will be on obtaining approval from the Senegal regulatory authority to import arpraziquantel into Senegal and finalizing the implementation research protocol, with support from TDR and other ADP partners. This study should produce relevant evidence for the effective introduction of the treatment.
For more information, please contact Dr Corinne Merle.
This article was originally published in https://tdr.who.int/