Young Global Leaders around the world are taking action against parasitic worms persuaded by evidence of health and education benefits of deworming.1 Four hundred million school-aged children are infected with worms making them listless and sick, yet only 10 percent are being treated. The Young Global Leaders have launched Deworm the World, an initiative that responds to J-PAL’s hard evidence and strives to improve access to education through supporting, implementing and advocating for school-based deworming programs.
Mass school-based deworming is the most cost-effective way to increase school participation of all approaches rigorously studied. A randomized evaluation in Kenya by J-PAL members Edward Miguel and Michael Kremer found that school based deworming cut absenteeism by one quarter and cost only 50 cents per child per year. These results suggest that if you implement a mass school-based deworming program throughout primary school on average children will add as much as one year to their education. Other studies have shown important health benefits.
This evidence persuaded the Forum of Young Global Leaders (part of the World Economic Forum) to jointly engage with health and education NGOs, the WHO, foundations, the private and public sector, to leverage their talents and networks to raise awareness on this neglected issue. Deworm the world will draw on the YGL’s unique network to advocate for deworming children through schools and raise funds to support deworming efforts.
Deworm the World provides easy access to the evidence on deworming and information education groups need to implement deworming programs through its website www.dewormtheworld.org. For many countries this already includes maps of soil-transmitted helminthes prevalence, and a link to WHO information on who is already doing deworming in the country.
J-PAL sees Deworm the World as a key part of its mission to translate research into action. Expertise in health issues comes from Deworm the World partners in the public health community including the Partnership for Child Development, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, the Eastern and Southern Africa Center of International Parasite Control, and the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Disease Control. Other partners helping to implement deworming programs include Save the Children, Right to Play, and the Foundation for Community Development in Mozambique. The support for J-PALs involvement in Deworm the World has been generously provided by the Douglas B. Marshall Jr. Family Foundation, Kingdom Foundation and The Tomberg Family Philanthropies.
Learn more about Deworm the World at www.dewormtheworld.org
and read our latest briefing that focuses on deworming at http://www.povertyactionlab.com/papers/J-PAL_briefcase04_web_01a.pdf
1Soil-transmitted helminthes and schistosomes.