ABSTRACT

Schistosomiasis also known as bilharzia is a freshwater snail transmitted intravascular debilitating disease resulting from infection by the parasitic dimorphic Schistosoma trematode worms which live in the bloodstream of humans (Steinmann et al. 2006, Inobaya et al. 2014, Adenowo et al. 2015, WHO 2017a). Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that ranks second only to malaria in terms of human suffering in the tropics and subtropics (Inobaya et al. 2014). Reports by the World Health Organization (WHO 2017a) showed that at least 218 million people required preventive treatment for schistosomiasis and more than 66.5 million people were reported to have been treated for the disease in 2015. Schistosomiasis transmission has been reported from 78 countries while preventive chemotherapy for schistosomiasis is required in 52 countries where the disease is endemic with moderate-to-high transmission (WHO 2017a). According to WHO (2017b), schistosomiasis causes more than 200,000 deaths per year in sub-Saharan Africa. Previous reports by Adenowo et al. (2015) revealed that sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 93% (192 million) of the world estimated 207 million cases of schistosomiasis in 2014 with the highest prevalence of this infection recorded in Nigeria (29 million), followed by Tanzania (19 million), Ghana and Democratic Republic of Congo with 15 million each and Mozambique with 13 million. Schistosomiasis causes great health, social and financial burden on economies of households and governments in sub-Saharan Africa with profound negative effects on child development, outcome of pregnancy, and agricultural productivity (Adenowo et al. 2015). Schistosomiasis is more rampant in poor and marginalized rural communities where fishing and agricultural activities are dominant (Adenowo et al. 2015, WHO 2017a). Women and children

Medicinal Plants and Economic Development (MPED) Research Center, Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa.