Quarterly Dose - May 2011
Review past articles from the Quarterly Dose.
Letter from the Director: May 2011
May 31, 2011 by Kim Koporc
Increased donations of deworming medication have given us the opportunity to work with our partners to make unprecedented inroads into reducing morbidity from STH infections. Learn more about these new opportunities for collaboration with our partners. We're also excited to introduce you to our new Senior Program Associate, Kerry Gallo.
In: May 2011
Kerry Gallo, MPH: Senior Program Associate of Children Without Worms
May 31, 2011 by Kim Koporc
Children Without Worms (CWW) recently welcomed Kerry Gallo as Senior Program Associate. Kerry joins CWW with enthusiasm for tackling soil-transmitted helminths (STH) control and experience working with school-based health programs. Her volunteer work with Atlanta's refugee and immigrant communities spurred her initial interest in public health. In these communities, she saw firsthand the impact that poor health in childhood can make in adulthood, as well as the potential for childhood health interventions. She is excited about working with CWW because she believes that a sustained, holistic approach to STH control like CWW takes benefits children by giving them the tools to improve their own health and the health of their communities.
In: May 2011
Antonio Montresor: Reflecting on Cambodia’s Successful STH Control
May 31, 2011 by Kim Koporc
Dr. Antonio Montresor, Medical Officer for the World Health Organization, managed the WHO’s parasite control program in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the Philippines from 2004 to 2008. Because Dr. Montresor was in Cambodia when the country received its first donation of mebendazole from Johnson & Johnson in 2008, he observed the initial impact those donations made. As a result of the donations, the country now had enough doses to treat its entire school-age population for soil-transmitted helminths (STH). Dr. Montresor notes that before the donations, “[STH] infection rates were reaching levels of 60 percent and 80 percent. Now, on average rates are lower than 15 percent.”
In: May 2011
2009 Global NGO Deworming Inventory Captures 20.8 Million New Treatments
May 31, 2011 by Kim Koporc
Children Without Worms (CWW) recently released results of the 2009 Global NGO Deworming Inventory, a WHO project in partnership with CWW, Deworm the World (DtW), the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI), InterAction, and CORE Group. The Inventory was created to better quantify the extent and scope of global deworming activities for Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis (STH), Lymphatic filariasis (LF), and Schistosomiasis by collecting non-governmental organization (NGO) deworming treatment data. This more accurate data would assist the WHO in developing their global deworming strategy, reduce redundant efforts by increasing visibility to current deworming activities, and provide a platform for NGO collaborations to address health needs of the world’s children. The 2009 Inventory results exceeded expectations, with NGOs reporting 20.8 million new treatments, and a total of 127 million doses donated.
In: May 2011
Nicaragua and Bolivia Awarded Izumi Foundation Grants
May 31, 2011 by Kim Koporc
The Izumi Foundation provides assistance to improve the health of some of the world’s poorest people who live in developing countries. Recently, the Foundation awarded its 2011 grants to several countries, including Nicaragua and Bolivia. In Nicaragua, the grant award will be used to strengthen the health education component of the country’s existing soil-transmitted helminths (STH) control program. In Bolivia, the grant award will enable the country to implement a pilot project for a mass deworming program of pre-school and school-age children in areas where STH infection is highly endemic.
In: May 2011