‘We Can’t Get Worms from Cow Dung’: Reported Knowledge of Parasitism Among Pastoralist Youth Attending Secondary School in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

A significant portion of Maasai pastoralist youth in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania, demonstrate practical knowledge about soil-transmitted helminth infections and protozoa, despite living in close proximity to livestock and facing unreliable access to water. This finding emerges from qualitative research involving 60 secondary school youth, 6 teachers, and a women's group, conducted as part of a broader One Health initiative aimed at developing youth-driven health promotion strategies. The study highlights local resilience and understanding of 'neglected tropical diseases,' which are prevalent among children in low- and middle-income countries. It also underscores the need for targeted interventions to mitigate disease burden, particularly through school-based water, sanitation, and hygiene education.

Henderson, R. I., Hatfield, J., Kutz, S., Olemshumba, S., Van Der Meer, F., Manyama, M., & Bastien, S. (2015). ‘WE CAN’T GET WORMS FROM COW DUNG’: REPORTED KNOWLEDGE OF PARASITISM AMONG PASTORALIST YOUTH ATTENDING SECONDARY SCHOOL IN THE NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA, TANZANIA. Journal of Biosocial Science, 48(6), 746–766. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0021932015000358