A systematic review and meta-analysis on the global prevalence of helminthic parasites among schoolchildren: a public health concern

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 2852 - 36
• Main Authors: Badri, Milad, Olfatifar, Meysam, Gharibi, Zahra, Pal, Mahendra, Hatam-Nahavandi, Kareem, Asghari, Ali, Sgroi, Giovanni, Soltani, Hanieh, Abdoli, Amir, Eslahi, Aida Vafae
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 19.08.2025; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Analysis; Animals; Behavior; Child; Child health; Children; Elementary school students; Global Health - statistics & numerical data; Health aspects; Helminthiasis - epidemiology; Humans; Infection; Intestinal helminths; Prevalence; Public Health; Sanitation; Schoolchildren; Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs); Systematic review; Systematic review; Schoolchildren; Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs); Child health; Intestinal helminths
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-23958-9

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are responsible for substantial illness and death worldwide. Helminthic infections among school-aged children pose a serious public health challenge due to their detrimental effects on health and development. A wide-ranging search conducted across five databases, including Scopus, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to retrieve papers published between 1998 and 2024. To evaluate the combined prevalence, a random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was applied, and the statistical analysis was performed using meta-analysis packages in R version (3.6.1). There were 190 eligible studies documented in 42 countries, and 199,988 schoolchildren included in this review. The global prevalence of helminthic parasites was 20.6% (17.2- 24.3%). Among the countries studied, Tanzania and Vietnam showed the highest levels of prevalence at 67.41% and 65.04%, respectively, with Toxocara spp. and Ascaris lumbricoides being the most prevalent helminthic parasites at 10.36% and 9.47%, respectively. In conclusion, this study underscores the pressing public health concern of helminthic infections among schoolchildren, largely driven by inadequate sanitation and poor water quality. Prompt action, such as improving sanitation, expanding school-based deworming programs, and enhancing access to safe water, is crucial to control these infections and enhance overall health outcomes.