Intestinal worms are treated with a single dose of medication: either Albendazole® donated by GlaxoSmithKline, or Mebendazole® donated by Johnson and Johnson.
Medication is distributed to schools and communities. Specially trained school teachers play a key role in distributing and administering these vital treatments.
Our deworming work also includes educating people about good hygiene. Access to clean water, as well as hygienic behaviour, is vital to stop the disease spreading.
Intestinal worms can cause symptoms such as anaemia, intestinal obstruction, inflammation of the colon, impaired development, and even death. Our NTD programmes aim to target entire communities of at-risk men, women and children to eliminate these diseases.
In 2018, Sightsavers treated more than 3.9 million people for intestinal worms, and trained more than 218,000 local volunteers to distribute medication to treat a range of neglected tropical diseases, including intestinal worms. Medication is also distributed in schools, and the disease is frequently treated at the same time as schistosomiasis.
As part of our community and school programmes, we aim to educate local communities about the importance of hygiene to stop the spread of disease. Access to and use of clean water and sanitation, as well as good hygienic practices such as wearing shoes and washing hands, is vital for preventing and controlling the spread of intestinal worms.