The Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites and Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Activities among School Going Children in Artisanal Gold Mining Areas in Kakamega County

Background and study aim: Intestinal parasitic infections among school aged children are a major public health concern especially in rural areas characterized by poor hygiene and supply of clean water. This study aimed at examining the prevalence of STH and other intestinal parasites in school aged children within gold mining regions of western Kenya after mass drug administration and also investigate the status of water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities in the region.Patients and Methods: The study was conducted in three schools selected randomly from Ikolomani sub-county, Kakamega County according to their proximity to the goldmines. The study was conducted between June and July 2023, where 600 school going children were randomly selected to participate in the study.Results: The overall prevalence of STH and other intestinal parasites was 16.85%. The common detected STH was Ascaris lumbricoides at 13.3% and very low prevalence of Trichuris Triachuria (0.56%), however no hook worm was reported, Enterobius vermicularis (0.56%) was also detected. Giardia lamblia (1.69%) was the common intestinal protozoan detected followed by Balantidium coli (0.19%) and Entamoeba histolytica (0.56%). Washing hands with water and soap was significantly associated with STH and other intestinal parasite infections.Conclusion: The MDA program may have reduced the prevalence of STH to some extent, but other factors like sanitation and hygiene practices remain critical in controlling the spread of parasitic infections. Future interventions should adopt a holistic approach that includes education, infrastructure improvements, WASH and community engagement to complement the MDA campaigns.