What is schistosomiasis?
Schistosomiasis, known as bilharzia or ‘snail fever’, is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasites released by freshwater snails.
Infection occurs when the parasite’s larvae penetrate a person’s skin during contact with infested water, often through fishing, swimming, bathing and washing clothes.
Once inside the human body, the larvae develop into adult worms and the eggs they lay can become trapped in the body’s tissues.
At first, there are often no symptoms of schistosomiasis, but the parasite can remain in the body for many years and can cause more serious problems. This NTD can cause itchy rashes, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, and can lead to serious long-term problems affecting the digestive, urinary, respiratory and nervous systems.
Schistosomiasis is particularly common in sub-Saharan Africa, and mainly occurs in poorer communities that don’t have access to clean drinking water or adequate sanitation. Unfortunately, poverty is both a cause and consequence of the poor health caused by schistosomiasis. In children the disease can cause anaemia and stunted growth, and can affect their ability to learn. Many infected adults are unable to work, leading to economic hardship.
Source: World Health Organization
How is schistosomiasis treated?
Medication
To stop the spread of infection, praziquantel tablets, donated by Merck Serono, are distributed to people at risk.
Volunteers
The medication is administered via teachers and volunteers known as community-directed distributors (CDDs), who work locally.
Combined treatment
Schistosomiasis is often treated alongside other neglected tropical diseases such as intestinal worms and river blindness.
What we’re doing
Sightsavers is taking steps to control schistosomiasis in the countries in which we work.
Our schistosomiasis treatment programmes specifically target school-age children and adults considered at risk, such as fishermen, living in endemic regions. In areas with very high rates of infection, entire communities may be treated through mass drug administration.
Sightsavers and partners also encourage non-drug-based practices such as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives.
In 2022, Sightsavers and partners helped to provide more than 7 million treatments for schistosomiasis. Since we began, we’ve also trained more than 519,000 local volunteers to distribute medication to treat a range of NTDs, including schistosomiasis.
How we’re making a difference
Sightsavers works with GiveWell to deliver cost-effective treatments for schistosomiasis and intestinal worms.
Our work with GiveWellFind out about other diseases we treat
Neglected tropical diseasesMore about schistosomiasis
How our research could help more than 50 million women
Sightsavers researchers are working to understand how we can care for women with female genital schistosomiasis, a devastating disease that affects millions of women in Africa.
Sightsavers’ deworming work gets $16.9 million funding boost
Sightsavers has been awarded $16.9 million to continue and expand its deworming work, after a funding recommendation from US charity evaluator GiveWell.
Sightsavers’ deworming work receives extra funding to reach millions of children
Charity evaluator GiveWell has provided a further US$7.8 million to fight intestinal worms and schistosomiasis in Nigeria and Cameroon.
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