Worms damage mental acuity of rural children

Worms damage mental acuity of rural children

JAKARTA (JP): Massive deworming, or medical treatment for worm
related diseases, is an important aspect which should be included
in community health education programs to help achieve an
intellectually sound rural society, experts say.

Che Ghani Mohammod, a parasitologist from the School of
Medicine at University Kebangsaan Malaysia and Barnett L. Cline,
Director of the Medical Center at Tulane University, Los Angeles,
U.S., told reporters at a seminar yesterday that recent studies
showed worm related diseases had a significant effect on the
intellectual abilities of children.

Mohammod, who did research on students at four primary schools
in the second poorest district of Malaysia's Trengganu region,
revealed that the intensity of infection caused by Ascaris
lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura worms were significantly
correlated with impaired problem solving abilities, poor school
performance, underweight and low height for age.

"However, the pathways which the worms affect the children's
mentality is still unknown," he said, adding that this may either
be through anemia, malnutrition or through direct causes.

Speaking at a seminar on community health education challenges
for the community in the 21st century, Cline pointed out that
although deworming is only a temporary solution to the "worm
problem" -- as health education plays a bigger role in increasing
a community's hygiene in the long run -- deworming has its own
benefits.

"Treatment is a very effective way to build confidence as
people see the benefit quickly... In the long run, deworming not
only treats but changes people's attitude and boosts their
potential and productivity," he said.

Deworming consists of eliminating intestinal worms by taking
medication in tablet form on a regular basis.

Mohammod suggests children in all grades be dewormed every
four to six months, rather than the present practice of deworming
only first and sixth graders.

Slum areas

Cline explained that the most common worm is the giant round
worm, or Ascaris, which infects 90 percent of children in
Indonesia, most of whom live in rural or slum areas where
sanitation is poor.

It enters their bodies and intestines through food and
contact.

Deworming at regular intervals is considered a cheaper and
faster method of controlling infection, compared to the
relatively slow improvement of health education and sanitation.

"They are even found in children who look normal, or healthy,"
Cline added.

By treating the children, he said, they would benefit by
growing faster and would eat more, be stronger, more active and
learn quicker.

Manouchehr Yazhari of SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals,
U.K., said current figures show that two billion people suffer
from parasites while studies suggest that a global, major
approach should be made to resolve the problem.

"Programs would be more effective if they were carried out on
a joint basis between government authorities, non-governmental
organizations, the private sector, academics or experts and
members of the community," he said.

Mass treatment projects, which rely on personnel with limited
training to provide health education, medication or specific
health services directly to specific groups at schools, work
sites or households, are found to be more cost efficient than
individual, case by case medication, he said.

Minister of Health Sujudi in his opening speech encouraged
members of the Center for Education and Training of Health
Personnel, who organized the seminar, to boost activities, "and
resist from boring people."

"Don't talk only, act... Make the community really count on
the Center because they personally need it in their daily life,
not because they are obligated to listen to the trainers," he
said.(pwn)