Impact of sanitation and health education on intestinal parasite infection among primary school aged children of Sherpur, Bangladesh.

This study was carried out in 1999-2000 in the northern part of Bangladesh to determine the impact of sanitary latrine use and of health education on intestinal parasites in school-aged children. The children were between 5 and 13 years of age and stool samples revealed that more than half (53%) of the study sample was still infected with one or more intestinal parasites even after 4 years of intervention. Ascariasis was found to have the highest prevalence rate (36.2%) and hookworm the lowest (10.7%). Intestinal parasite infection was significantly lower (P < 0.05) among those who used a sanitary latrine and received health education. This result is consistent with observations that the effect of sanitation and health education is slow to develop. Concerted primary healthcare activities with community development efforts should be undertaken to improve the overall living condition of the people of this area to control this problem.