Board Game Teaches Nigerian Children to Avoid Parasitic Worm Disease

A board game adapted from Chutes & Ladders is being used in elementary schools in rural Ogun State, Nigeria, to teach children how to avoid schistosomiasis, a parasitic infection spread through contact with infested water. The game replaces traditional chutes with images of schistosome worms and includes squares that show both risky behaviors, such as playing in a river, and protective actions, such as taking medication at school or visiting a health center.

Players advance by rolling dice along a winding path. Landing on a square labeled "playing in a river" sends a token down a worm illustration, while squares promoting safe practices, such as "eat before taking medicine," send tokens up ladders. The game also depicts transmission steps, including fetching water from a stream and defecating near a river, and shows resulting health effects such as swollen belly.

2025, a researcher visited a school in Apojola village as part of the program. Children played the game while Ministry of Health staff provided urine testing and distributed the oral drug praziquantel. Live snails collected from the Oyan River were shown to students so they could recognize the intermediate host that carries the parasite.

Free snacks were given to participants because eating before treatment reduces stomach discomfort. After playing the game, more than two-thirds knew the drug existed and understood it was safe, and 65 percent signed up, with parental permission, to receive treatment.

Schistosomiasis is listed as a neglected tropical disease and affects more than 200 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. In the study area, one-third of residents screened at a urine testing clinic had active infection. The disease causes blood in the urine and, if untreated, can lead to organ damage, infertility, and bladder cancer.