DESCRIPTION TITLE : Efficacy and safety of increased dosage of Praziquantel ( 60 mg / Kg ) in the treatment of schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is currently estimated to infect about 200 million people World-wide, and 85% of them are believed to be in sub-Saharan Africa. It is ranked second to malaria in terms of extent of endemic areas and number of infected people. Several control options have been previously advocated, however, our better understanding of the epidemiology of the infection and disease, the advent of safe, efficacious, single oral dose anti-schistosomal drugs point to the strategy of morbidity reduction by chemotherapy as the mainstay of schistosomiasis morbidity control (WHO, 2002). Praziquantel (PZQ) is currently a drug of choice for the treatment of schistosomiasis because of its high effectiveness against the adult stage of all human schistosomiasis species, its ease of administering (single oral dose) and its good safety profile with usually mild adverse side effects (Kumar, et al, 1994). Moreover, the price of PZQ has recently been substantially reduced (WHO, 2002) making it more available and affordable for most people in endemic countries.