Mapping schistosomiasis risk in Southeast Asia: a systematic review and geospatial analysis.

This article focuses on estimating the prevalence and geographical distribution of schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease caused by Schistosoma japonicum and Schistosoma mekongi, in Southeast Asia using a systematic review and Bayesian geostatistical modeling. The study analyzed 494 surveys for S. japonicum and 285 for S. mekongi, covering endemic areas in the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Laos, and estimated that approximately 225,000 people were infected in 2018, with the highest prevalence in Laos (3.86%) and the lowest in Cambodia (0.29%). The authors also estimated that about 1.99 million doses of praziquantel, the recommended treatment, were needed annually in these endemic regions, which is lower than the World Health Organization’s estimate. The findings highlight significant spatial heterogeneity in infection risk and underscore the need for targeted interventions to meet the WHO goal of eliminating schistosomiasis as a public health problem by 2030.