Design and Clinical Evaluation of a School Meal With Deworming Properties

Plain-language summary

Intestinal parasites (IP) are among the world's neglected tropical diseases. Morbidity due to IPs is greatest in school-age children who typically have the highest burden of infection. In 2001, WHO passed a resolution for the use of large-scale mass drug administration (MDA) of antihelminthic drugs to deworm children in developing countries. Though initially effective, there is concern that MDA might not be sustainable over extended periods especially considering the large children populations and the high frequency of dosing. Further, the MDAs exert increasing drug pressure on parasite populations, a circumstance that is likely to favor parasite genotypes that can resist anthelmintic drugs. There is hence a need for alternatives that are not only affordable and sustainable but easier to implement in the long term with a minimal chance of development of resistance. The investigators propose to develop and test the feasibility of a corn porridge meal fortified with papaya fruit extracts that have been shown to have antihelminthic properties. The investigators intend to evaluate its efficacy when given through school feeding programs and compare the outcome with albendazole- the recommended MDA agent for deworming school children. The investigators will design and formulate the product and test it among children in three primary schools in Western Kenya.

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