Right now 600 million school-age children worldwide are at risk of parasitic worm infection. The problem is daunting, but a simple, cost-effective intervention has been identified as one of most promising solutions to alleviating global poverty. In Bihar, India, our crucial program aims to treat at least 17 million across 67,000 primary schools this year. Join us in expanding this extremely effective treatment to keep more kids in school and healthy!
In Bihar, as in many other regions, parasitic worms harm children's health and development and limit their participation in school. Worms can also cause anemia, malnourishment, and impairment of mental and physical development.
School-based deworming is a safe, simple and cost-effective solution to parasitic worms. The Deworm the World Initiative at IPA works to reduce the infection burden by promoting and establishing sustainable, government-led programs wherever worms are a problem. Our solution utilizes existing educational infrastructure, which provides the most efficient way to reach the highest number of school-age children.
For just pennies per treatment, administering deworming pills through programs conducted in schools has been shown effective in reducing worm infections. The long term impact for these children includes an increase in overall health and higher educational attainment as well as an increase in adult earnings.