Study drug administration
vomiting
The anthelminthic and SMC drugs were only available in tablet form. Hence, to facilitate administration, the tablets were crushed into granules, and a teaspoonful of granulated table sugar was added to the crushed drugs. The study drugs were administered to the children by a trained pharmacist in the presence of their parents/caregivers. The anthelminthics (PZQ and ALB) were administered to the children randomized to receive them 24 h before SMC drugs (SPAQ) were administered as part of the annual SMC campaign. A 10-min interval separated the administration of albendazole and praziquantel in the study children randomized to receive these drugs. Parents were encouraged to provide their children with a carbohydrate-rich meal before the administration of the study drugs. If a child vomited any of the study drugs, a 30-min period was allowed before re-administration, but if vomiting occurred a second time, the treatment on that occasion was not considered part of the study. A simple, user-friendly recording tool was used to capture the drug administration for each child participant. To ensure objectivity and minimize bias in safety assessment and reporting, the staff who conducted safety assessment for the study participants were separate from those who gave the study drugs. Children who started the treatment but could not be found at home after reasonable efforts were excluded from the study.