Abstract
BackgroundSchistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), being regarded as a neglected tropical disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Praziquantel is the conventional treatment recommended for schistosomiasis in mainstream healthcare systems. In many poor settings, while many people reportedly use both traditional medicine and public sector mainstream healthcare systems, little is known if those infected with schistosomiasis use both African traditional and prescribed antischistosomal medicines. This review aims to map evidence of the concomitant management of schistosomiasis by traditional health practitioners (THPs) and health care professionals (HCPs) in communities with a high prevalence schistosomiasis infection in LMICs.Methods/designGuided by Arksey and O’Malley scoping review framework and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), we will map the evidence from relevant studies dating from 2007 to 2019 published in LMICs. An electronic keyword search of the following databases will be conducted: PubMed, Cochrane Library, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and MEDLINE via EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, and WILEY online Library. Peer-reviewed articles, gray literature sources, and reference lists will be included to identify eligible studies. Following title screening, two reviewers will independently screen the abstracts and full texts. Any study that focuses on managing schistosomiasis will be included. The data will be analyzed using thematic analysis with the help of NVIVO software version 12, with the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT) being used to assess the quality of the included studies.DiscussionThis review will map the evidence in the literature of the concomitant management of schistosomiasis by THPs and HCPs in communities with a high prevalent infection in LMICs. The review findings will be important for policy makers across the healthcare continuum and be used to inform stakeholders’ consensus process to explore the development of a generic set of patient-centered quality indicators that are applicable to multiple care settings. It will also identify research gaps in schistosomiasis management in LMICs and provide direction for future research. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication and presented in relevant conferences.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42017078198
Highlights
Schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), being regarded as a neglected tropical disease in sub-Saharan Africa
This review will map the evidence in the literature of the concomitant management of schistosomiasis by traditional health practitioners (THPs) and health care professionals (HCPs) in communities with a high prevalent infection in LMICs
Infectious diseases are both a major public health concern and a socioeconomic problem in tropical regions within most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), such as schistosomiasis, are cause for concern [1]. These NTDs often occur in people who are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), malaria, or tuberculosis, making the problem even more serious, as co-infections are common [2]
Summary
Schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), being regarded as a neglected tropical disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Infectious diseases are both a major public health concern and a socioeconomic problem in tropical regions within most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), such as schistosomiasis, are cause for concern [1] These NTDs often occur in people who are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), malaria, or tuberculosis, making the problem even more serious, as co-infections are common [2]. More than five million people in South Africa, mainly in rural areas, required treatment in 2014 for urogenital schistosomiasis [6]
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