At the request of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Health (MOH), the VRF has agreed to assist in conducting a mass campaign against soil-transmitted helminthes among the general population, with a special focus on school-aged children. The first phase of the campaign, to be launched in April 2008, targets entire communities in the Batken region, one of the poorest regions in a country suffering from widespread poverty. The goal of the school-based campaign, which will proceed according to WHO guidelines, is to decrease the infestation level of helminthes through direct treatment as well as intense educational activities for children and their families highlighting effective sanitary-hygienic practices designed to prevent reinfection.