Comparing the impact of school-based and community-based deworming for controlling intestinal worm infections in school-aged children in Vietnam

None listed

This research project aims to determine if school-aged children are less likely to be reinfected with intestinal worms after deworming medication is delivered all community members, compared to when it is delivered only to school-aged children. Intestinal worms (referred to as soil-transmitted helminths or STH) infect nearly 1.5 billion individuals worldwide and can cause chronic health problems, especially in children. To treat intestinal worms in endemic countries, large-scale distribution of deworming medication occurs once or twice a year, usually targeted to school-aged children and delivered at school. Re-infection with intestinal worms is common in areas without adequate sanitation and hygiene, because infections are spread through soil contaminated with human faeces. We hypothesize that by expanding the delivery of deworming medications to all members of the community, there will be less contamination of soil with worm eggs and larvae, and children will therefore be less likely to be reinfected. To test this hypothesis, we will conduct a research study in Dak Lak province in Vietnam. The study will take place in 64 primary schools. These schools will be randomly allocated to either the “intervention” or “control” arm. In the intervention arm, deworming medication will be delivered both to all children at the primary school, and to all community members (except children under 1 year of age and pregnant women in the first trimester), in 2-3 communities that send children to the primary school. In the control arm, deworming medication will be delivered only to children at the primary school, which is the usual practice in Vietnam. Deworming medications will be delivered every 6 months for one year. Intestinal worm infections in school-aged children will be measured prior to each round of deworming to compare the impact of the two deworming approaches.