Ethiopia has received around 14 million praziquantel tablets, used to treat schistosomiasis, for mass distribution to school children.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Ethiopia is one of the most endemic countries for schistosomiasis worldwide.
It is estimated that around 23% of the overall population (23 million people) requires treatment.
The Country has been participating in the Merck Praziquantel Donation Program since 2012 and has received around 43 million tablets to date.
“We want to contribute to eliminating the insidious worm disease in order to help infected children to take part in the economic development of their home countries. With our donation of approximately 14 million tablets to WHO for Ethiopia, approximately six million school children can be treated – covering half of the country’s school-aged population in need of treatment,” said Chokri Ahmadi, General Manager of Merck for Ethiopia, Sudan and the French-speaking countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Since 2007, more than 74 million school children have been treated. To this end, Merck has donated over 340 million praziquantel tablets to the WHO.
Praziquantel is well tolerated and the most effective treatment to date for schistosomiasis.
The drug producer is also supporting educational and awareness programs in Africa.