Dadaab, Kenya– In response to high rates of schistosomiasis in Dagahaley camp, part of Dadaab refugee complex, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) conducted a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign in February 2025, providing Praziquantel treatment to approximately 70,000 people. The campaign aims to curb the spread of Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by parasitic worms living in fresh water, and protect the community from severe health complications.
If not treated, Schistosomiasis, also known as Bilharzia, can lead to serious health issues, including fever, anemia, malnutrition, abdominal pain, blood in urine, and even lung and liver damage.
In August 2024, MSF medical teams recorded a high schistosomiasis positivity rate in Dagahaley, with approximately one in ten urine samples from patients with urogenital symptoms testing positive. Most concerning was that 88.8% of people with haematuria (blood in urine) tested positive, highlighting an urgent need for a large-scale treatment campaign.
As a result, a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) strategy was developed to control and eliminate schistosomiasis. This approach involves distributing Praziquantel, an antiparasitic medication that paralyzes and eradicates parasites, to entire at-risk populations, thereby reducing the infection burden and preventing severe complications. Through the MDA campaign conducted in February 2025, MSF managed to treat 70,007 people, including children aged 5 to 15 and women of childbearing age (15-49 years). The treatment is safe, effective, and crucial for breaking the transmission cycle. However, MDA alone is not enough.
“The high number of schistosomiasis cases is a direct consequence of inadequate access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services in the camp,” said Kelly Khalaba, MSF Deputy Medical Coordinator in Kenya, “Without significant improvements in water and sanitation infrastructure, this disease will again affect thousands of vulnerable people in the future.”
The risk of schistosomiasis in Dagahaley has been intensified by the devastating impact of floods, which displaced populations and created stagnant water, providing a breeding ground for disease-carrying vectors. With climate change, the Horn of Africa is expected to experience more frequent and severe flooding in the future.
Refugee populations are excluded from the country’s schistosomiasis elimination program, leaving them at greater risk of the disease. The recently concluded Mass Drug Administration campaign by MSF in the Dagahaley refugee camp marked the area’s first-ever initiative of its kind.
MSF has been providing medical care in Dagahaley for over 30 years, offering essential health services to refugees and host communities.
