Financial costs of deworming children in all primary schools in Cambodia

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 99; no. 9; pp. 664 - 668
• Main Authors: Sinuon, Muth, Tsuyuoka, Reiko, Socheat, Doung, Montresor, Antonio, Palmer, Kevin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2005; Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anthelmintics - economics; Anthelmintics - therapeutic use; Ascariasis - economics; Ascariasis - prevention & control; Biological and medical sciences; Cambodia; Child; Child, Preschool; Cost; Deworming; Female; General aspects; Health Care Costs; Humans; Male; Mebendazole - economics; Mebendazole - therapeutic use; Medical sciences; Preventive Health Services - economics; School health; School Health Services - economics; Schools; Cambodia; Asia; Deworming; Cambodia; Cost; School health; Human; Costs; Anthelmintic; Health; School environment; Mass campaign; Health economy; Parasiticide; Tropical medicine; Primary school; Child; Public health
• ISSN: 0035-9203; 1878-3503
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2004.12.004

In 2002, Cambodia's Ministry of Health launched a deworming programme to deliver an anthelmintic drug (mebendazole 500 mg) and health education to 75% of its school children twice a year. Cambodia's school population is approximately 2.8 million. The deworming programme was organized into two phases: the first phase (December 2002–March 2003) targeted more than one million school children from 11 provinces; and the second phase (July 2003–January 2004) targeted the entire school population. The cost to treat each child was 12 cents (0.11 USD) during the first phase, 6 cents during the second phase, and 3 cents for re-treatment in areas where the campaign was conducted for the second time. The Cambodian experience demonstrates that, with political commitment, high coverage for deworming is achievable even in a country with minimal resources. Cambodia's deworming programme represents a successful model for other developing countries.