Prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminth infections among pre-school age children in 12 kindergartens in Jimma Town, southwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Pre-school age children (preSAC) remain difficult to reach in mass drug administration (MDA) programmes to control soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections. Kindergartens provide a unique platform to increase the coverage of MDA in preSAC in Ethiopia, but surveys assessing STHs among preSAC in kindergartens are scarce. METHODS: We report the prevalence and intensity of STH infections among 622 preSAC in 12 kindergartens in Jimma, Ethiopia. RESULTS: STHs were found in all kindergartens, with prevalence exceeding 50% in 8 kindergartens. The majority of the infections were of low intensity. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of kindergartens as an additional opportunity for MDA in Ethiopia.