Safeguarding children’s futures: why it’s vital to continue supporting deworming programmes

“I want to become a teacher when I grow up.”

These are the words of Aisha, a 10-year-old girl our team spoke with recently in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Aisha told us that her favourite activity was reading, and that she enjoyed school. She also told us that in the past, she has needed to skip classes due to a parasitic worm infection.

Parasitic worms are one of the most common causes of infection globally. They can cause a range of symptoms including stomach pain, vomiting, fatigue and weight loss. It’s estimated that around 600 million schoolchildren living in low and middle income countries are at risk from these parasites, which could have a severe impact on their health and educational achievement.

Girls benefit most from deworming programmes

Research suggests that school-based deworming programmes can reduce absenteeism among students by as much as 25%, and the effects of these programmes can carry on far into adult life.

A study from 2016 notes that the effects of deworming are especially pronounced for girls. The research paper suggests that girls who have received treatment are 10% more likely to pass secondary school entrance exams and stay in school for longer than those who have not been treated. They also spend more time working in non-agricultural employment once they reach adulthood.

This brighter future could be possible for many more girls, including Favor, another 10-year-old at Aisha’s school who received deworming medication. Favor told us she wants to be an engineer when she grows up, to help others in her community. She was pleased to be receiving treatment that would protect her and enable her stay in school.

The benefits of these treatment campaigns will continue to ripple outwards through society, as the girls who received treatment become women who can support their families and contribute to their local economies.

Fighting worm infections: low cost, high returns

So far, our team at Sightsavers has supported health ministries across Africa to distribute more than 1.8 billion treatments for worm infections and other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). These programmes are incredibly cost-effective to run. As the drugs themselves are free, the overall cost for providing deworming medication can come to less than USD$1 per treatment in many countries.

Unfortunately, recent cuts in international aid have introduced gaps in the system for delivering treatments, and millions of doses of medication may not be delivered in coming years unless new funders come forward. These funders will not just be helping individuals – they will also be contributing to stronger health systems, so that countries are better equipped to protect the lives of their youngest citizens in the long term.

Our programmes follow a sustainable model for drug distribution in Africa, in which teachers and other local volunteers are trained to provide medication within their communities. These drug distributors will be available to support further deworming initiatives in future, along with other public health campaigns.

Aliyu, a volunteer from Kaduna State, helped distribute deworming medication at Aisha and Favor’s primary school. He said: “When they started distributing the drugs, there was a pushback, but then we saw that the ones that collected the drugs got better. That motivated me to do this so I can make my community better.”

Author

Ndellejong Cosmas Ejong is Sightsavers’ global technical lead for schistosomiasis and intestinal worms.