Paving the way for pediatric praziquantel accessibility in Madagascar – PEPRAMA
Situation:
Madagascar is one of the poorest non-conflict countries worldwide with a weak health system. It is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of schistosomiasis worldwide. In Madagascar, 6.8 million people need treatment for the disease. Treatment is generally distributed through school-based mass drug administrations (MDA) hence children under 5 are typically not treated.
Objectives:
PEPRAMA has the objective to pave the way for a successful strategy for pre-school aged children management of schistosomiasis, and will ultimately lead to an overall improvement of children’s health, their development, and greater opportunities for them to escape the vicious circle of poverty.
- More than 5000 pre-school aged children are treated for schistosomiasis
- A Malagasy schistosomiasis network of higher education institutions is established
- Negotiation with the pediatric praziquantel consortium for the introduction of pediatric praziquantel in the format identified in Madagascar
- Impact of treatment on children health
- Acceptability of the treatment
- Feasibility of the treatment
PEPRAMA has the potential of opening perspectives for the further collaboration between Madagascar and the BNITM, to build national capacity for a more advanced management of schistosomiasis in the country, to fuel the introduction of a new drug and new health guidelines in the country so as the possibility of improving the health, development and success in life for 5000 children in Madagascar. Starting from PEPRAMA additional activities can be planned foreseeing collaborations with national and international NGOs. PEPRAMA will be implemented in areas where health services are less complex to deliver since the territory is more accessible. If PEPRAMA will be successful, in collaboration with NGOs working in the countries (such as doctors for Madagascar) possible synergies could be considered in order to implement the activities in regions of Madagascar where the access to the territory is harder for a research institute as the BNITM.
PEPRAMA will combine a humanitarian project with a feasibility study for the introduction of a new drug in Madagascar pushing the academy towards the ownership on a medical topic that is neglected by national health strategies.
