Pakistan Deworming Initiative:

School-based Deworming Program

Challenge

After a nation-wide prevalence survey on STH infections conducted by IRD Pakistan, IHHN and Evidence Action, in collaboration with WHO, and federal and provincial governments. 

The survey highlighted the need for deworming of 17 million school-age children in 45 at-risk districts, thus prompting the efforts to initiate the Pakistan Deworming Initiative (PDI).

Our Approach

Providing technical knowledge, tools and funds, IRD works as a technical assistance provider to the government-led initiative, leveraging existing infrastructures to deworm children through a school-based approach. 

The government takes a multi-sectoral approach with the Education Department taking the lead in teacher trainings, the Health Department leading involvement of health officials in case of potential Adverse Events, and the Planning & Development Department leading overall regional and national coordination.

Impact

To-date under PDI, approximately 3.2 million school-age children have been dewormed in ICT, KP and Sindh. 

Despite the school-closures due to Covid-19, we are planning to conduct approximately 10 million treatments in the year of 2021.

Posters