The Case for Mass Treatment of Intestinal Helminths in Endemic Areas

Joan Hamory Hicks, Michael Kremer and Edward Miguel

Department of Economics, Working Paper Series from Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley

Abstract: Two articles published earlier this year in the International Journal of Epidemiology [1,2] have re-ignited the debate over the World Health Organization's long-held recommendation of mass-treatment of intestinal helminths in endemic areas. In this note, we discuss the content and relevance of these articles to the policy debate, and review the broader research literature on the educational and economic impacts of deworming. We conclude that existing evidence still indicates that mass deworming is a cost-effective health investment for governments in low-income countries where worm infections are widespread.

Keywords: Public Health; Health Sciences; Anthelmintics; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Drug Therapy; Endemic Diseases; Global Health; Health Policy; Helminthiasis; Humans; Intestinal Diseases; Parasitic; World Health Organization; Biological Sciences; Medical and Health Sciences; Tropical Medicine; Biological sciences; Biomedical and clinical sciences; Health sciences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-01-01
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Journal Article: The Case for Mass Treatment of Intestinal Helminths in Endemic Areas (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cdl:econwp:qt38r5f8dk

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