Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is no recent information about the prevalence and distribution of schistosomiasis in the Somali national regional state of Ethiopia. Ethiopia launched the national integrated neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) Master Plan in June 2013. The Master Plan identified mapping NTDs as a prerequisite for launching control programs. Therefore it is important to understand the prevalence and distribution of schistosomiasis in respective regions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February to March 2011, a cross-sectional survey was done in school-aged children from six districts of Afder Gode zone. Urine samples were collected and examined for ova of Schistosoma haematobium using the sedimentation technique and stool samples were collected and examined for S. mansoni using the Kato-Katz technique. A semistructured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Of the 523 children, 513 (98%) of them participated in the study. The prevalence of S. haematobium was 16.0% (95% confidence interval (CI); 12.8-19.2). The rate of the disease was not uniform across the various six communities studied (x(2) = 208.8, P < 0.0001). Musthail district had the highest prevalence with 64.2% (95% CI; 60.0-68.3) followed by Kelafo with 11.8% (95% CI; 9.0-14.6). No infections of S. mansoni were found in these settings. There was no difference in the prevalence of infection across age groups. Boys were more likely to be infected by S. haematobium than girls (odds ratio = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.1-2.7). CONCLUSION: S. haematobium infection is prevalent in the region with varying distribution across the districts. According to the World Health Organization, mass drug administration should be considered in some of the districts.