Praziquantel 600mg tablets

Background: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease with high endemicity across Africa. As a waterborne parasitic disease, the population at highest risk includes school-age children, although adults are also affected. The rationale for this review is to assess the effectiveness of the various schistosomiasis control interventions implemented across Africa. Methods: A targeted systematic search for studies published from January 2000 to August 2023 in African Journals Online, ScienceDirect, PubMed, World Health Organization Database, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases was conducted. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was followed in the screening of the studies conducted from 2000 to 2023. Results: A total of 165 articles (out of an initial number of 9791) that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed in this study under the broad subthemes: pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions. Praziquantel is the most widely implemented control measure for both preventive and curative purposes across the 35 countries surveyed in this study. Praziquantel either was the sole control strategy (18/35; 51.4%) or was used in conjunction with one or more other interventions (5/35; 14.3%). Studies conducted in 14 countries did not specify the type of schistosomiasis interventions used. Research on schistosomiasis in Africa and its control measures is primarily funded and supported by the WHO and other international research initiatives (49.1%), national governments (17.6%) and private researchers (33.3%). Ineffective coordination at the local, national, regional or continental levels; inconsistent and donor-driven mass drug administration and lack of an effective approach that integrates pharmacological and nonpharmacological control strategies are major bottlenecks hindering the elimination of schistosomiasis across Africa. Conclusion: There is a paucity of data on a systematic approach by the national governments of Africa that effectively integrates pharmacological and nonpharmacological control strategies to meet the 2030 elimination roadmap targets.

Abstract licence: CC BY

BackgroundPraziquantel is the drug of choice for parasitic diseases such as opisthorchiasis, schistosomiasis, and taeniasis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and World Health Organization (WHO) advise administering praziquantel with food to increase absorption and decrease side effects. However, there is a scarcity of evidence on the impact of food, and different types of food, on treatment outcomes. This review aims to address this knowledge gap by (i) examining how pre-treatment food intake is reported in humans, and characterising the types of food provided, if any, and (ii) assessing whether the presence and/or type of food impacts four key treatment outcomes in humans: absorption, metabolism, treatment-associated side effects, and drug efficacy.MethodsWe will search the following databases: Embase (via Ovid), MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and African Index Medicus (via Global Index Medicus), and trial registries including clinicaltrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). Additionally, we will perform citation and grey literature searching and will contact researchers to obtain information on ongoing and unpublished relevant research. The search strategy is constructed using two core concepts: (i) praziquantel, and (ii) the outcomes of interest (pharmacokinetics, treatment-associated side effects, and drug efficacy). In Covidence, two review authors will independently screen the retrieved studies based on pre-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria and extract data using a standardised form. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool for randomised controlled trials and the Risk of Bias In Non-randomised Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool for non-randomised studies. Data will be synthesised narratively, and random-effects meta-analyses will be conducted to estimate the effect of food on the outcomes of interest, where appropriate. The certainty of evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework.DiscussionThis review has the potential to enhance treatment outcomes for individuals and communities living in endemic regions for schistosomiasis and other parasitic diseases treated with praziquantel. Our findings will be of direct relevance for WHO guidelines and, therefore, can help improve the design and impact of future targeted treatment and mass drug administration (MDA) programmes.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD420251024296.

Abstract licence: CC BY