Parasitic worms harm children's health and development and limit their participation in school.

Over 600 million school-age children are at risk of infection with parasitic worms (soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomes) across the globe. These infections are chronic and widespread, damaging children’s health and development and limiting their participation at school. Worms can cause anemia, malnourishment, and impairment of mental and physical development

For just pennies per treatment, deworming pills administered through school programs can improve health and increase attendance.

School-based deworming is a safe, simple and cost-effective solution. With more schools than clinics, and more teachers than health workers, the existing and extensive education infrastructure provides the most efficient way to reach the highest number of school-age children. With support from the local health system, teachers can administer treatment to large numbers of school-age children with minimal training.