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 |  | | | Recent Developments in Azerbaijan | Village Schoolchildren in Azerbaijan Show Marked Improvement in Overall Health, School Attendance after Treatment for Intestinal Worms | Students had reason to celebrate at the end of the 2008 academic year at School N1 in the
Guba district in the north of Azerbaijan. They were celebrating not only the completion of another year of their studies but also their good health. During the course of the school year, students were able to rid themselves of intestinal worms through a |  | | Dr. Soltan Mammadov, RVF Director in Azerbaijan and William Amoss, RVF executive director with schoolchildren who were treated for intestinal worms. Teachers and parents have noted a marked improvement in school attendance and say that children are more energetic and alert since taking the deworming medication. |
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| deworming program sponsored by the Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation (RVF) in partnership with the Azerbaijani Ministry of Health (MoH).
Students received two tablets of mebendazole over the course of six months and are now free from intestinal worms. The partnership with the MoH provided for the deworming of 150,000 schoolchildren ages 7 to 12 years residing in 17 districts of Azerbaijan, nearly 1/3 of the entire country. The results of post treatment laboratory testing showed that the infestation rate among the schoolchildren decreased from 40% to 11.5%. Schoolchildren whose families were given liquid soap during 6 the months of the program had even better results: their infestation rate dropped to 6.2%.
“Before we started treatment of our children with the deworming tablets most of the schoolchildren had problems with school attendance, and they were not active in sport classes,” comments the director of School No. 1, Mustafayev Mahir. “Parents complained that their children had no appetite and were always tired.. But now after being treated for worms and learning about basic individual hygiene they’ve become much more alert at school, many play soccer every day and their academic performance is much better. Parents are so grateful for this program.”
Because of the success of the deworming program and the widespread problem of intestinal worms among children in the country, the MoH and RVF will expand this important health initiative in September 2008 to benefit an additional 100,000 schoolchildren. By the spring of 2009 nearly 50% of all schoolchildren ages 7 to 12 years in Azerbaijan will have been treated for intestinal worms. In order to reduce the rate of re-infection the program includes training in personal hygiene for children, families, and teachers, and provides schools and families with hand-washing supplies.
The Azerbaijani MoH is responsible for administering the program, while the RVF provides all required medication and assists the MOH in monitoring program implementation. In 2009 the MoH will assume full financial responsibility for the program, thereby ensuring its sustainability. | | | | For more information on RVF programs in Azerbaijan 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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