Four hundred million school-age children are infected with parasitic worms worldwide, which both damage their health and limit their access to education. These worms are detrimental to children’s health, their cognitive development, their education and a brighter future. Chronic illness caused by worm infections reduces literacy and thus adult productivity thereby impacting on the economic development of low and middle income countries.
This problem has a simple and inexpensive solution...
Mass deworming programs based in schools are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and cost just pennies per child. Studies prove deworming is the most cost-effective way of increasing education. Deworming in schools is easy: programs can be plugged into existing school infrastructure at low cost.
Deworming drugs are safe and can be delivered orally without the need for diagnosis. Under the direction of local health professionals, teachers can be easily trained to deliver the drugs on their own. School-aged children are most at risk of worm infections, so targeting through schools is a highly effective method for achieving widespread coverage of treatment.
Deworm the World is working to implement school-based deworming wherever it is needed worldwide, and we invite you to join us. A key barrier to the implementation of mass deworming programs is access and availability of medication. Feed The Children, a key partner in Deworm the World, has donated all of the over 40 million tablets used in programs in 2009.
Get Involved:
Donate to Deworm The World.
Source: Deworm The World.
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