HEALTH EDUCATION FOR THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF SOIL TRANSMITTED HELMINTH INFECTION: ADVANCES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

The expression soil transmitted helminth infection refers to infections caused by nematodes that parasite human beings through contact with contaminated warm and wet surfaces. These parasitoses, due to their prevalence, head the list of neglected diseases. National and international practice show that interventions aimed at reducing these parasitoses require strategies that match the characteristics and peculiarities of each community, where sanitary education interventions play a vital role. The purpose of this study was to review publications on sanitary education for the prevention and control of soil transmitted helminth infections and to analyze their advances and challenges, taking into account the available information. Different databases were reviewed and articles, books and meeting reports available on databases and websites such as Scielo, BVS, PubMed, Scopus, Redalyc and other search sites were analyzed mainly from 1990 to 2015. This study presents updated information on the research topic applying an academic, social and health approach. The results evidenced that prevention and control actions regarding this health problem require analysis using an interdisciplinary, intersectorial and inter-programmatic approach. Consequently, sanitary education interventions, with this aim, demand the integration of different factors such as political willpower, the availability of human and economic resources, as well as the appropriate health system structure. Moreover, the challenges associated with the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of soil transmitted helminth infections should be faced dynamically and holistically, not only due to the fact that these parasitoses head the list of neglected diseases, but also because they constitute an important health problem in different underdeveloped areas.