02581nas a2200301 4500000000100000008004100001260002500042653003100067653001600098653001500114653002600129653002900155653003900184100001000223700001900233700001200252700001000264700001300274700001300287700001500300700001100315245019200326856015300518300001100671490000700682520157600689022001402265 2026 d c11/2026bElsevier BV10aSoil-transmitted helminths10aTimor-Leste10aPrevalence10aschool-going children10aMass drug administration10aNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs)1 aJin H1 aMagno Neves MA1 aPinto F1 aCho M1 aMathur A1 aYajima A1 aMartins JS1 aChoi M00aSoil-transmitted helminthiasis prevalence and infection intensity among school-going children in Timor-Leste after the prolonged interruption of deworming: a cross-sectional survey (2025) uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772368226001551/pdfft?md5=626d30d45e6bb8c3ef8aed9d51540eec&pid=1-s2.0-S2772368226001551-main.pdf a1 - 100 v543 a

Background

Timor-Leste reduced soil-transmitted helminth (STH) prevalence from 29% to 18% by 2020 through mass drug administration (MDA) in 2015–2019. School-based deworming was interrupted for nearly four years during the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in 2022 in 3 municipalities and nationwide in 2024. We aimed to estimate STH prevalence, geographical distribution and associated factors following the re-introduction of MDA.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional, school-based survey from 26 February to 1 May 2025 across all 14 municipalities of Timor-Leste, sampling two schools per municipality and targeting 50 children between 6 and 14 years of age per school. We employed the Kato-Katz technique for stool sample analysis which is the WHO-recommended method for STH surveillance. Associations between STH infection and risk factors were assessed using univariate and multivariable logistic regression.

Findings

Out of 1960 children, 1236 (63·1%) provided analysable samples (615 [49·8%] girls, 621 [50·2%] boys); median age of the children was 8·7 years (IQR 8–10, range 6–14); ethnicity data was not available. Weighted national STH prevalence was 29·3% (95% CI 24·3–34·2), close to the 2012 baseline (29%) and above the 2020 figure (18%). Prevalence ranged from 2·2% (Oe-Cusse) to 91·5% (Manatuto). Ascaris lumbricoides accounted for 95·8% of infections; moderate-to-heavy infections affected 15·7% of children.

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