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Intestinal worms

Commitment to enable de-worming of school age children

In October 2010, we announced a five year commitment to help fight intestinal worms in children. In January this year, we extended this commitment an additional five years to the year 2020. Through the expansion of our donation of albendazole, an anti-parasite medicine, we will work with the World Health Organization and affected countries to treat school age children at risk of infection.

Intestinal worm infections, known as soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), cause tremendous ill health in children. Three major intestinal worms—roundworm, whipworm and hookworm—are amongst the most widespread parasites worldwide. Together they inflict a heavy health burden in tropical and subtropical countries.

Prevention and control
Fortunately there are tools that offer hope.  According to the WHO, de-worming can result in immediate improvements in child health, thus leading to increased growth rates, better school attendance and performance, improved iron status, and a decline in anaemia. WHO recommends treatment of all children in endemic areas with anthelminthic drugs such as albendazole to reduce and control intestinal worm infection and illness.

GSK’s commitment
As part of our commitment aimed at reaching school children at risk of STH in endemic countries, we will donate up to 400 million albendazole treatments to WHO each year.  This is addition to GSK’s ongoing commitment to donate 600 million treatments of albendazole annually for elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF).  

Together, we hope our commitments to fighting worms and LF will make a real difference in improving the lives of people facing these diseases.