Description:
Background: The World Health Organization estimates that more than 2 billion people are
infected with IPIs, and more than 50% of those infected being children. In Tanzania, most
studies have focused on pattern, distribution and helminthic infection as a cause of mal
nutrition, and its association with Immunity status of an individual but not the associated
factors.
Objective: To determine factors associated with helminthes infection in Kahe ward, among
primary school children aged 5-15 years.
Methodology: Secondary anlaysis of the data from the study conducted to determine
Predictors of Anemia among Children less than 15 years of age in Kahe Ward, Moshi Rural
was done to address objectives of the study.
Results: Out of 318 children, 17.6% had IPIs. Most of the participants were children aged 6
to 12 years. 52.5% Females and 47.5% Males. E. histolytica was most prevalent in about
76.7% of the infected children, followed by G. lambria 16%. Among the house holds only
19.8% boil water for drinking and 92.4% have toilets/latrines. 90.3% of the heads of the
household were non-employed and 80% had primary education only.
Conclusion: The prevalence for IPIs in KAHE among school age children was 17.6%. Most
probably this could be linked to the behaviour of not boiling water for drinking as in 80.2%
of the households do not boil water for drinking.