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COMMUNITY PERCEPTION OF SCHOOL-BASED DEWORMING PROGRAM IN SANLIURFA, TURKEY

This article presents an evaluation of the community perception of the recently implemented School Based Health Program, which delivered anthelmintics to 96,000 schoolchildren in Sanliurfa, Turkey. One hundred forty-four parents and 140 teachers were interviewed through questionnaires, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews. The evaluation indicated that most of the parents and teachers reported that the program was beneficial as it led to improvement in children’s health and well being. The evaluation also indicated that 99% of the parents and 98.4% of the teachers approved of the teacher’s role in this program. Nearly all of the teachers and parents showed willingness to continue the program in the future and 75% of the parents indicated willingness to pay for the drugs. The evaluation also highlighted that there were critical issues for the successful implementation of the program such as the issue of educating illiterate mothers, higher involvement of families in the mass treatment process, ability to reach a larger number of school absentees, and overcoming the prejudice against externally funded measures, which are perceived by some of the members of the community as an experiment run by foreigners on the local population and the concern of some parents that anthelmintic drug (mebendazole) might cause sexual sterility.

Received June 6, 2006. Accepted for publication August 7, 2006.

Acknowledgments: The author thanks Mugdat Balta, Seyhmuz Ekinci, and Nurullah Ete, the medical students, for their assistance in conducting meetings with teachers during deworming activity and later conducting questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews. I would like to thank also Girisim Medical Company Diyarbakir/Turkey for the support in publishing health education materials. The American Committee on Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health (ACCTMTH) assisted with publication expenses.

Disclosure: Dr. Ulukanligil is the recipient of WHO funding of drug policy to support the school health program in Sanliurfa, Turkey.

^* Address correspondence to Mustafa Ulukanligil, Harran Universitesi Tip Fakultesi Arastirma Hastanesi, Mikrobiyoloji Bolumu TR-63100, Sanliurfa/Turkiye. E-mail: mulukan{at}harran.edu.tr

Author’s address: Mustafa Ulukanligil, Harran Universitesi Tip Fakultesi Arastirma Hastanesi, Mikrobiyoloji Bolumu TR-63100, Sanliurfa/Turkiye, E-mail: mulukan{at}harran.edu.tr.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Ulukanligil School-Based Deworming Programme in Sanliurfa, Turkey: Changing from Externally Funding Phase to Self-Sufficient Phase J Trop Pediatr, June 1, 2008; 54(3): 157 - 163. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]