A Little About Worms and Albendazole The Other Face of Malnutrition Guidelines for Worm Pill Distribution MUCH MORE with a Little Less Models and Reports Worm Project Stories Worm Project Recipes Newsletter - Winter 2006 (PDF format, 2.89 MB) Home

Guidelines for Worm Pill Distribution Claude Good The worm pills you have obtained are a great asset to people suffering from intestinal worms. They act to remove the adult worms from the intestinal area where they formerly fed on the nourishment intended for the human body. The pills are mint-flavored and chewable so are easily administered. They can be taken before or after eating. Some children may experience some stomach uneasiness as an after affect. Since many people, and especially children, have an aversion to pills it may be wise to ask them to stick out their tongue to be sure they have chewed and swallowed it. The pills have come to you fresh and have a shelf life of three years. They should be stored in the driest area of a building and away from direct sunlight. The dosage is just ONE pill for anyone above two years of age (World Food Program recommendation). A few cautions are in order: Administering the pill to a child under two years of age should only be done under the supervision of a doctor. Also, recent research indicates that it is safe for a pregnant woman to take the pill. However, in some countries they are still following former guidelines where it is prohibited to give the pill to any woman of child-bearing age. It is necessary to check with the ministry of health in your particular country to see what the rules are. Otherwise legal problems may arise especially if in that country there are those who are looking for ways to denounce Christians. Some countries may also require the distribution to anyone be done under the supervision of a doctor. Even though there is no statistical significance of problems if given in the first trimester of pregnancy it is advisable to tell a pregnant woman to keep the pill and take it after the first trimester (if that country allows pregnant women to be treated). The large Ascaris can migrate out of the child’s nose or mouth. In this case one dose of Piperazine prevents this. Piperazine is inexpensive and widely available. In general, the pills should be distributed every six months. However, some countries have a policy of dispensing every four months if the infestation is severe. Usually a program should be run for two to three years. During this two or three year period it is highly recommended that steps be taken to improve sanitation such as: Education on washing hands (especially before meals) AND fingernails (one group sent a large number of clippers along to pass out to families), Work toward a safe drinking water supply. Building latrines. Until this is done the Biblical injunction to “…dig a hole and cover up your excrement” (Deuteronomy 23:13) should be followed. In the washing of hands and fingernails the life cycle of the worm is broken since the worm eggs are picked up in the soil. If not, the eggs (200,000 a day by one adult female) are swallowed and then hatch in the intestinal area. Doing these three steps the worm population can be greatly reduced. It is also recommended that an entire community be treated within a one week period so as to keep one area from infecting another. If this is not possible the second best is to assure that an entire family be treated at the same time. Although not directly related to the worm problem, the nutritional deficit is often exacerbated by the introduction of highly refined, empty calorie “foods” into poor communities such as cookies, candies, cakes and sodas. They lure people to spend their very scarce food money on these high-cost items with little or no return in nourishment. One egg costs far less than a soda but provides much needed protein and fat in areas where these are in very short supply.