03927nas a2200625   4500000000100000008004100001260005300042653001900095653001700114653002800131653003900159653002600198653002800224653002100252653002200273100001400295700001700309700001200326700001100338700001700349700001900366700001200385700001400397700001600411700001500427700001000442700001400452700001700466700001700483700001400500700001400514700001700528700001200545700001200557700001400569700001200583700001600595700001600611700001200627700001400639700001100653700000900664700001600673700001400689700001000703700001600713700001500729700001700744245019500761856007300956300001101029490000701040520224001047022001403287       2026                            d  c10/2026bSpringer Science and Business Media LLC10aarpraziquantel10aChild health10aimplementation research10aNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs)10aPediatric drug dosing10aPreschool-aged children10aSchistosomiasis 10aWeight estimation1 aMonnier N1 aBeinamaryo P1 aWells M1 aAkoa A1 aAritnaitwe M1 aBarth-Jaeggi T1 aBassa F1 aBurrill J1 aCoulibaly G1 aDiakité N1 aDje N1 aGnahore A1 aHattendorf J1 aHürlimann E1 aKouamé R1 aKouamin A1 aKyarisiima H1 aLange I1 aLavry S1 aNabatte B1 aNeema S1 aN’Goran E1 aN’Goran H1 aOhouo U1 aPreston A1 aRoth L1 aBi T1 aVerhoeven D1 aWinkler A1 aToh A1 aSteinmann P1 aOuattara M1 aConsortium T00aPragmatic weight estimation for dosing of a new paediatric treatment for schistosomiasis prevention and control in preschool-aged children: a feasibility study in Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire  uhttps://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40249-026-01507-9.pdf  a1 - 130 v153 a<p><strong>Background</strong></p>

<p>Schistosomiasis remains a major public health concern in endemic settings. The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium has developed a new paediatric treatment, arpraziquantel, for preschool-aged children. Because the&nbsp;treatment is&nbsp;dosed according to body weight, dose determination by scales poses operational challenges in community-based mass treatment campaigns. This study assessed the performance of the Pediatric Advanced Weight Prediction in the Emergency Room Extra-Long Mid-Arm Circumference (PAWPER XL-MAC) tape for weight estimation during mass drug administration in Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire.</p>

<p><strong>Methods</strong></p>

<p>A mixed-methods study evaluated feasibility in terms of accuracy, reliability and acceptability of the PAWPER XL-MAC tape across delivery platforms and users between March 2025 and March 2026. Accuracy metrics comprised (1) the&nbsp;mean relative difference and mean absolute relative difference between predicted (tape) and observed (scale) weight and (2) the&nbsp;proportion of estimates within 10% (PW10) and 20% (PW20) of observed weight. Reliability was evaluated by calculating the intraclass-correlation coefficient (ICC). User experiences were collected through observations, questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Results In Uganda ( n = 3369), mean absolute differences were 11.0–11.1%; PW10 60.2–61.0%. In Côte d’Ivoire ( n = 1249), accuracy was higher (6.8–7.7%; PW10 72.4–78.2%). Reliability was high between users and countries (ICCs ≥ 0.84). Sufficient time for practical training was essential to achieve solid performance. With continued use, an increase in confidence, efficiency, and accuracy was observed. Qualitative results indicated strong acceptability and practical advantages amongst users.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusions</strong></p>

<p>This is the first study to demonstrate that the PAWPER XL-MAC tape offers reliable, accurate, and acceptable weight estimation for community-based interventions, supporting its use in routine child healthcare and public health programmes. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT06698510, date of registration: 21.11.2024.</p>
  a2049-9957