One for the World Partner Fact Sheet – Schistosomiasis Control Initiative
The Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) treats the over 200 million children in the developing
world whose schistosomiasis and intestinal worms threaten their lives, keep them out of school, and
jeopardize the health of their entire family.
SCI, for approximately a dollar per person treated, helps to improve the health and development of
the world’s poorest populations by eliminating schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and intestinal worms
(hookworm, whipworm and roundworm). These are some the most common neglected tropical
diseases (NTDs) and they are caused by parasitic worms.
SCI was founded in 2002, and works with governments in African countries and Yemen and is funded
via grants from the Gates Foundation, USAID, and Geneva Global.
What’s The Need?





The WHO estimates that there are more than 200 000 deaths per year caused by
schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
Aside from mortality, there is also huge morbidity caused by schistosomiasis and other
neglected tropical diseases (NTDs):
o In children it can cause anaemia, stunting and a reduced ability to learn.
o Schistosomiasis has been shown to lead to lower cognitive ability, effectively by
robbing a growing body of the nutrients it requires.
o Chronic schistosomiasis reduces the capacity of infected adults to work and can lead
to the development of life-threatening conditions of bladder cancer, kidney
malfunction or liver and spleen damage.
Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are transmitted by eggs
present in human faeces which in turn contaminate water and soil in areas where sanitation
is poor.
Around 249 million people required preventive treatment for schistosomiasis in 2012, with
only 42.1 million people receiving treatment.
More than 1.5 billion people, or 24% of the world's population, are infected with soiltransmitted helminth infections worldwide.
What do SCI do?



SCI treat children and at risk adults for schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminths
through large scale deworming programs, generally through school based programs.
SCI assists Ministries of Health across sub-Saharan Africa, and now Yemen, to control and
then eliminate schistosomiasis and STH from their population utilising the World Health
Organization’s Drug Donation Programme for praziquantel and albendazole.
SCI completes a mapping exercise, leveraging previous work, and then procures the drugs,
trains the Ministry of Health staff, oversees treatment and conducts a well-respected
monitoring and evaluation program.
Why SCI?


Why deworming?
o Deworming is cheap - it costs approximately a dollar per treatment, depending on
the local context and number of people being treated at once.
o Treating NTDs is a ‘best buy’ in public health according to WHO
o Deworming can lead to a 25% increase in school attendance. Deworming children in
chronically affected areas has been demonstrated by numerous randomized
controlled trials to be the cheapest proven way to increase school attendance.
o NTD elimination can be achieved by 2030. In Butiaba, Uganda, the prevalence of
schistosomiasis has been reduced from about 100% in 2003 to less than 10% in 2010
o Recent studies have also shown that treating schistosomiasis can lead to reductions
in HIV and malaria infections
Why SCI?
o Works closely with governments (Burkina Faso, Burundi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda,
Tanzania and Uganda) to implement programs, build capacity and utilize existing
infrastructure to deliver effective mass deworming programs
o SCI has been a top recommended charity by GiveWell, Giving What We Can and The
Life You Can Save for a number of years.
o They have a standout transparency and commitment to monitoring: we can quantify
the impact they are making and accurately estimate their impact per donated dollar.
More Information







SCI Website: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/schisto
WHO fact sheet: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs115/en/
GiveWell review: http://www.givewell.org/international/top-charities/schistosomiasiscontrol-initiative
Giving What We Can review: https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/topcharities/schistosomiasis-control-initiative
The Life You Can Save overview: http://www.thelifeyoucansave.org/Where-toDonate/Schistosomiasis-Control-Initiative
End 7 campaign to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases: http://www.end7.org/
Review of evidence that treating schistosomiasis can reduce malaria and HIV infections