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| Kyrgyzstan: De-worming Campaign Aims to Promote the Health and Intellectual Development of Impoverished Children | | | At the request of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Health (MOH) the RVF 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 March 2008, targets entire communities in the |
|  | School children in rural community receive deworming medication in pilot phase of mass campaign |
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| Batken region, one of the poorest regions in a country suffering from widespread poverty. Over 400,000 children and adults will be treated with the drug albendazole, proven to be safe, highly effective, and inexpensive. 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 highlighting both the behavioral risk factors of infestation and effective sanitary-hygienic practices designed to prevent reinfection.
Surveys conducted by the Kyrgyz Ministry of Health (MoH) in cooperation with UNICEF, Swiss Red Cross, and the Swiss Tropical Institute in 2007 indicate that nearly 3 out of 4 children were infected with one or more intestinal parasites.
| | The main causes of infestation are the following: | | • | Contamination of water sources with raw sewage | | • | Low living standards | | • | Contamination of food supplies with the helminthes eggs due to improper preparation and storage of food materials | | • | Lack of sanitation education |
| | Intestinal worms can cause children to suffer from: | | • | reduced growth rates | | • | learning problems & poor school attendance | | • | malnutrition | | • | anemia |
| Over 860,000 tablets of albendazole will be provided by RVF to treat over 420,000 individuals against helminthes. The RVF provides the drug albendazole in a special odor-free, peppermint-flavored chewable tablet that kids like. RVF will also contribute to social mobilization and capacity building of health staff through development of video clips and conducting training for physicians and laboratory assistants.
The RVF is committed to working closely with the MoH of Kyrgyzstan to expand the deworming campaign to all regions of the country. With the ongoing support of the RVF and the other international partners working to improve children’s health, the MoH will soon be in a position to offer treatment and prophylactic educational instruction to all school children in the country. | | | | For more information on RVF programs in Kyrgyzstan click here | | |
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The Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation (RVF) is a non-political, non-partisan organization whose mission is to make a difference in the health and wellbeing of vulnerable children...
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