World Scabies Program – Solomon Islands

Status: Active

Health Systems Strengthening in Solomon Islands

The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) has developed a long and productive research collaboration with Solomon Islands to work towards understanding how scabies affects the Solomon Islander population. This successful research collaboration has translated into a working relationship, through a partnership between MCRI’s WSP and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Unit. The Solomon Islands National Scabies Control Program aims to eliminate scabies as a public health problem across the country, through estimating the burden of disease, mass drug administration (MDA), and health systems strengthening (HSS) activities.

Background and key milestones:

·       2021: A national prevalence survey, led by the Solomon Islands MHMS NTD Unit with support from WSP, identified high national baseline prevalence at 23.2%, and the need for MDA for scabies control.

·       2022–2023: The first national scabies MDA was implemented through a partnership between the NTD Unit and WSP. National first dose population coverage was 49%.

·       2023: The NTD Unit with partner support, including WSP, conducted a national, integrated NTD prevalence survey 6 months after MDA completion. Scabies prevalence was estimated to have reduced to 19.9%.

·       2024: A second national scabies MDA was implemented by the NTD Unit with WSP support. National first dose population coverage increased to 68%.

·       2025: A final post-MDA national prevalence survey for scabies found a relative risk reduction 83.3% when compared to baseline, with national scabies prevalence estimated at 3.9%, demonstrating significant population-level impact.

Current focus: Health Systems Strengthening (HSS)

Following the success of the 2 MDA campaigns, the Solomon Islands National Scabies Control Program has transitioned to health systems strengthening (HSS) activities. HSS refers to activities, policies, and strategies what improve how health systems function and deliver better outcomes.

In Solomon Islands, this means strengthened coordinated action across all levels of the health system to ensure long-term sustainable and embedded scabies control.

Following consultations with relevant Solomon Islands MHMS divisions, priority HSS areas include:

  • Health service delivery
  • Health information systems and surveillance
  • Access to essential medicines
  • Leadership and governance

As part of the ReALiSE initiative, the following activities are being implemented in Solomon Islands:

Health service delivery

  • Deliver training for healthcare workers on scabies identification, treatment, complications and referral pathways
  • Engagement with Solomon Islands National University (SINU) to determine possibility of scabies content being added into nursing and public health curricula.
  • Develop a national scabies communication plan in collaboration with the Health Promotions Unit, informed by community consultations.
  • Support national scabies awareness and advocacy through world health day events.

Health information systems and surveillance

  •  Assess feasibility of including crusted scabies in the national notifiable disease surveillance system.
  • Support the MHMS Surveillance Unit on routine data collected on scabies, including updating indicators, reporting, and feedback through the national health information system, DHIS2

Leadership and governance

  •  Strengthen NTD Unit staff capacity through training and professional development opportunities.
  •  Support the NTD Unit to plan, implement, and coordinate scabies control activities that are integrated with other NTD activities where possible, including regular NTD partner meetings. 

This program is led Dr Susanna Lake and World Scabies Program in collaboration with the Neglected Tropical Disease Unit, Ministry of Health and Medical Services Solomon Islands and Live & Learn Environmental Education Solomon Islands. 

 

Honiara City Council nurse uses a height stick to measure a child as part of the Solomon Islands national scabies control program, May 2026.

 

Supported by the Australian Government through the Partnerships for a Healthy Region Initiative.