Grant: Operating Grant

Worldwide, over 2 billion people suffer from worm infections in developing countries. These infections are especially damaging to the health of children, resulting in both short-term and lifelong disability. Older children with worm infections are more likely to be stunted, underweight, vulnerable to other illnesses and perform poorly in school compared to non-infected children. Large-scale deworming programs in school-age children are therefore recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO also recommends deworming of preschool-age children (as of 12 months of age) in these areas; however, the benefits of deworming, especially in the 12-24 month age group, have been inadequately studied. This knowledge is urgently needed as studies show that all children have a similar potential for healthy growth and development, provided that appropriate nutrition and health interventions are given in the critical window of opportunity before the age of two. Therefore, we are proposing to undertake a randomized controlled trial to determine the optimal deworming program for improving growth and development in children between 12 and 24 months of age. Our results will provide solid rigorous evidence on if, and when, deworming should be integrated into routine child health care packages provided by Ministries of Health in the 130 countries in the world where worm infections are endemic.