Data collection.
The data collection techniques used in this study included structured interviews, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGD) and participant observations. Sociodemographic profile of study participants, Saraya district, 2022Male = 15Female = 11Male = 6Female = 4SarayaBembouBadioulaDioulafoundouMale = 3Female = 1Male = 13Female = 2Male = 1Female = 1The trial staff and Saraya health facility staff were also interviewed. The health facility staff were purposively selected and included the medical director of the Saraya health center, a medical doctor at the center, a nurse, and a member of pharmacy staff. Two members of the SMC and NTD programs were also interviewed using a topic guide that included the following themes: 1) perceptions about the integrated delivery of anthelminthic and SMC drugs to children; 2) the feasibility of implementing an anthelminthic-SMC program by a joint team of SMC and NTD program officers; 3) adaptations to working practices that would be required to implement the integrated antihelminthic-SMC program, if it becomes a policy; and 4) recommendations on factors that may facilitate effective implementation of the integrated approach.The interviews were conducted in French or in any of the local languages preferred by the study participants by the project’s social scientist (Am. D.) and notes on verbal and nonverbal communications were taken by a trained research assistant. Each interview lasted for ∼45 to 60 minutes. All interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed into English. All field notes were coded to maintain the confidentiality of participants. For quality assurance, translations and transcriptions were verified by an independent social scientist who is a native speaker of a Senegalese language and who also speaks English and French.