Break the Cycle of STH Reinfection

Children Without Worms (CWW) oversees the donation of mebendazole by Johnson & Johnson to Ministries of Health and Education in eight recipient countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Lao PDR, Nicaragua, Uganda, and Zambia. The donation is designated for treating school-age children infected or most at-risk of infection with soil-transmitted helminths (STH), a group of intestinal parasites endemic to some of the poorest tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world.

CWW also advocates for a comprehensive strategy that breaks the cycle of reinfection. This strategy includes treating children for infection with mebendazole and preventing re-infection by educating them on good hygiene practices and increasing access to water and sanitary latrines. CWW refers to this four-component strategy—Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Education, and Deworming—as the WASHED Framework.