Intestinal parasitic infections among school children in northern Madagascar

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) more than 95% of all parasitic infections reported globally result from poverty, poor personal hygiene practices, open defecation practices, consumption of contaminated drinking water, and improper handling of food. The rates of parasitic infections are particularly high in the paediatric population. One of the low-income African countries, where 75% of residents live below the poverty level, is the island of Madagascar. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among school children living in northern Madagascar.