The effect of per capita income on the prevalence of schistosomiasis in selected African countries: a panel study

Abstract Background Schistosomiasis is one of the parasitic diseases of poverty caused by larval forms of trematode worms. Individuals get infected upon contact with water infected by these larvae through skin penetration. Thus, poor people without access to basic water and sanitation services, among others are more likely to contract the disease. The greatest burden of the disease is found in Africa where over 200 million people require preventive treatment. Given that Africa has experienced economic growth in recent times, albeit with some declines, this study investigated the effect of per capita income on the prevalence of schistosomiasis in selected countries on the continent. Methods The study employed panel data on 35 African countries over the period 2002–2019. The data were obtained from the Global Burden of Diseases Study (GBD) 2021 database and the World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WB’s WDI) database. Prevalence of schistosomiasis i) among males and females (overall), ii) among males and iii) among females were used as the baseline dependent variables. Three other indicators of schistosomiasis were used for robustness purposes. The growth rate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita (per capita income) was used as the main independent variable. The dynamic panel system Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) regression was employed as the empirical estimation technique. Results In the baseline, the study found a negative significant effect of per capita income on the prevalence of schistosomiasis (overall prevalence of schistosomiasis (β = -0.021, p < 0.05), prevalence of schistosomiasis among males (β = -0.04, p < 0.01) and prevalence of schistosomiasis among females (β = -0.04, p < 0.01)). The findings were not qualitatively different when the three other indicators of schistosomiasis were used. Conclusion Enhancing per capita income on the African continent remains critical towards the fight against schistosomiasis. Therefore, measures such as educational and skills development, technological advancement, among others, that can enhance per capita income should be deepened by governments, firms (including financial institutions) and other stakeholders.