Abstract
BackgroundSchistosomiasis is endemic in the uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The South Africa Department of Health (DoH) has decided to implement a schistosomiasis preventive mass drug administration program in all affected parts of the country. Quality management is part of the strategic objectives of the treatment program. We conducted a risk assessment and developed guidelines for the quality management of a schistosomiasis preventive treatment program for children aged 5 years and below in the uMkhanyakude District of KwaZulu-Natal.MethodsWe conducted a scenario planning exercise by interviewing 10 child health experts from the uMkhanyakude Health District to establish potential risks associated with a planned schistosomiasis preventive control treatment program for children aged 5 years old and below. The risks were analyzed using a modified Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA). An FMEA table was produced to guide the quality management of the planned schistosomiasis preventive control treatment program for children aged 5 years and below in the uMkhanyakude Health District.ResultsWe identified potential risks, failure modes and possible failure corrective/preventive measures in the following activities that would be part of the mass treatment of children aged 5 years and below infected with schistosomiasis in the uMkhanyakude District. These included enrolment of children into the treatment program; general health checks; weight and height measurements; administration of drugs; reporting of side effects and monitoring and evaluation.ConclusionWe were able to use FMEA guide quality management and identify potential risks associated with the planned schistosomiasis preventive treatment program for children aged 5 years old and below in the uMkhanyakude District of KwaZulu-Natal. The FMEA for this program will be useful to the quality management of schistosomiasis preventive treatment programs for this age group in other similar settings.
Highlights
Schistosomiasis is endemic in the uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
We identified possible scenarios that could hinder the successful implementation of a schistosomiasis preventive treatment program for children aged 5 years and below in the uMkhanyakude District
Implementing a schistosomiasis preventive treatment program for children aged years old and below in the uMkhanyakude District should identify and mitigate for operational risks that may compromise the quality of the program
Summary
Schistosomiasis is endemic in the uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The South Africa Department of Health (DoH) has decided to implement a schistosomiasis preventive mass drug administration program in all affected parts of the country. We conducted a risk assessment and developed guidelines for the quality management of a schistosomiasis preventive treatment program for children aged 5 years and below in the uMkhanyakude District of KwaZulu-Natal. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended preventive mass drug administration (MDA) using praziquantel (PZQ) at a standard dose of 40 mg per kg body weight as one of the methods to control schistosomiasis in endemic areas [2]. Risk mitigation to reduce medical errors is important to the success of treatment programs [6] such as MDA programs to control neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The quality of treatment programs needs to be managed at clinical as well as operational levels. The treatment coverage risks and supplychain efficiency need to be managed [8, 9]
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