Kiribati
Kiribati is a small country in the Central Pacific Ocean, made up of 30 atolls and reef islands within three island groups. There is an approximate population of 120,000 people, and over half of the population live on one atoll, Tarawa, which is the urban centre of the country.
In 2023, World Scabies Program (WSP), in partnership with Kiribati Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), carried out a national prevalence survey for scabies, the first of its kind in the country. The prevalence survey found that approximately one quarter of the population had scabies, with young children and infants affected at even higher rates.
WSP, with MHMS, are preparing to run a mass drug administration (MDA) campaign for scabies in Kiribati, to tackle the high scabies burden. The campaign will run in 2025 and will integrate with the Fred Hollows Foundation trachoma MDA. Trachoma is another neglected tropical disease (NTD), and coordinating the two MDAs together creates a streamlined and efficient approach to tackling multiple diseases in the community at once.
Our work
Skin examination during the prevalence survey in Kiribati, WSP 2023
Skin examination during the prevalence survey in Kiribati, WSP 2023
Kiribati National Scabies Baseline Prevalence Survey
WSP collaborated with Kiribati MHMS to assess the prevalence of scabies in the country, through a national prevalence survey in 2023. Over 10,000 people of all ages were examined for scabies and bacterial skin infection across Kiribati's five divisions. A two-stage random cluster-sample methodology was used, randomly selecting villages or urban areas followed by a random selection of households.
The survey found a high burden of scabies, with around a quarter of the population affected by the disease. Based on WHO recommendations, MDA is recommended in areas with community prevalence above 10%, which prompted the MHMS to collaborate with WSP to implement a national scabies program.
Kiribati prevalence survey training, WSP 2023
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