Tag Archives: Children Without Worms

School-Based Deworming Programs: Giving Children Important Lessons for a Bright Future

Africa, de-worming, , , ,

Kim Koporc is director of Children Without Worms and has contributed to End the Neglect in the past. She recently wrote a piece on school deworming for ABC News’ “Save a Life” initiative, a year-long project that brings to light the most prominent global health issues affecting the poorest of poor throughout the world. Ms. Koporc’s contribution is below:

By Kim Koporc, Director of Children Without Worms

Recently, the World Health Organization adjusted its figures to better quantify how much of the world’s population is affected by three types of parasites – roundworm, hookworm and whipworms – known collectively as soil-transmitted helminths (STH).

The new number is disconcerting. More than 800 million children on the planet are at risk of infection, and, included in those at greatest risk are school-age children (age 6 to 15) – 600 million of them – whose lives could be changed forever if not treated. Once these parasites enter the body, they sap the vital nutrients children need to grow and rob them of the energy they need to pay attention at school. Even the most energetic six year old can become appallingly lethargic, and, over time, the malnutrition can lead to a string of serious infections and eventually stunt a child’s growth forever.

While rarely fatal, an untreated infection can be the start of a lifetime of hardship – after all, children who cannot learn at school will find it even more difficult to earn a living for themselves, take care of their family and break out of the cycle of poverty.

Click here to read the post in its entirety.

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Fighting the Effects of Intestinal Worms

NTDs, Water and Sanitation, , ,

By Kim Koporc, Director, Children Without Worms

More than 800 million children are at risk of infection with intestinal worms, and at greatest risk are school-age children (age 6 to 15) – 600 million of them. Worms sap children of the nutrients they need to grow and learn, but there is a solution. I recently traveled to Cambodia with the Global Health TV to tell the story of a deworming day – a day when children receive deworming medication and learn about handwashing and sanitation. Check out the video below to learn more about a deworming day.

Shoes Save Lives

hookworm, Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH), , , , , , ,

Reprinted with permission from Toms Shoes:

By: Kim Koporc, Director, Children Without Worms (CWW)

It seems silly but when you think about it, people spend a lot of time deciding what shoes to wear. But for the millions of children living in the developing world, having access to just one pair of shoes can be life changing. Today people across the United States are participating in TOMS Shoes’ One Day Without Shoes – to raise awareness about the number of kids that do not have shoes and the challenges they face.

Not having shoes can be the difference between being sick and well.  Shoes are the buffer between one’s skin and the ground.  The ground is often dirty and can contain fecal matter in communities that lack access to proper sanitation. Shoes keep children free of infections.

Soil transmitted helminthes (STH) are prevalent in some of the poorest communities in the world.  Worms thrive in these areas where the climate is often warm and humid.  Hookworm, one of the three types of STHs, spreads when larvae penetrate the skin – often through bare feet because their families lack the resources to buy shoes. Continue reading →

Deworming Day in Cambodia aims to educate, treat & prevent

Global Health, NTDs, poverty, , , , , , , ,

Reposted with permission from the ONE Campaign’s blog

Kim Koporc from Children Without Worms (CWW) writes about an illness that affects children all over the world, including Africa: intestinal worms.

Photo Credit: Children without Worms

When I visited Cambodia with Johnson & Johnson for a deworming day at Poek Ho (waterfall) school in Kandal Province, I was struck by the sheer number of students who lined up to receive mebendazole. These children showed up to receive treatment for intestinal parasites with mebendazole donated by Johnson & Johnson. They also received a meal, which for some was likely the only meal they received that day.

Photo Credit: Children without Worms

These children were at particular risk of infection with intestinal worms because worms thrive in the warm climate. The lack of access to sanitation facilities in Cambodia doesn’t help much, either. In America, it is hard for us to imagine that more than 1.2 billion people living in developing countries are infected with intestinal worms. Worms are most prevalent in children between the ages of 6 to 14 and can lead to malnutrition, robbing them of the energy they need to learn and grow.

Schools provide CWW and our partners with a means to distribute the mebendazole to the children who need it, and schools also provide a platform to teach STH prevention by promoting healthy behavior within the classroom. Helen Keller International, our partners in Cambodia, works to integrate deworming prevention and hygiene into school programs and curriculum.

Photo Credit: Children without Worms

Even though schools provide a platform for reaching children in Cambodia, many of the poorest children do not have the resources and ability to attend school, and therefore, are left out of these deworming days. Strategies need to be developed to target this vulnerable population, such as inviting non-enrolled children to attend on “deworming day” and working with community leaders to identify and treat these children.

Treatment, hygiene education and access to sanitation and clean water are all components needed to bring STH infection under control, and together, governments, NGOs and other groups can come up with better solutions to reach this vulnerable population and find ways to prevent and treat intestinal worms.

There are many health challenges that children face throughout the world. But for intestinal worms, there is a solution that greatly improves a child’s capacity to learn and grow. A dose of medication, along with hygiene education and access to sanitation, are vital steps forward in improving a child’s life.

Read more about CWW’s work to distribute mebendazole from Johnson & Johnson to school age children as part of the Cambodia’s national deworming program.