• POLIO ERADICATION EFFORTS FOCUS OF GLOBAL VACCINE SUMMIT IN ABU DHABI/  HEALTH-EDUCATION PACKAGE TO PREVENT WORM INFECTIONS IN CHINESE SCHOOLCHILDREN
     

• The UK's Department for International Development committed GBP£300 million to eradication
• The Gates Foundation pledged US$1.8 billion, and a new group of philanthropists committed an additional total US$335 million
• His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, pledged US$120 million
• Qatar Charity and the Gates Foundation signed a co-operation agreement in support of the eradication effort

The new commitments make clear the confidence of global leaders and the vaccine community in the new plan's ability to both achieve a lasting polio-free world by 2018 and help build systems that will deliver critical health services, including vaccines and maternal health care, to those most in need. The commitments bring the world almost three-quarters of the way to the US$5.5 billion needed to fully fund the plan.

Please help share this great news through your social media and other networks, including Twitter.

One of the key figures in the fight to end polio is Dr. Mohammed Ali Pate, the Nigerian Minister of State for Health. Although Nigeria's eradication campaign faces substantial challenges, this year's remarkable progress - a nearly 50% drop in cases in 2013 compared to last year - are in large part thanks to his tremendous leadership and dedication. In a recent interview in Leadership, Dr. Pate explains why he's confident that Nigeria will succeed and highlights the Scientific Declaration on Polio Eradication.

Thank you for your continued support in the global mission to end polio. In the words of UNICEF's Executive Director Anthony Lake, "Ending polio will not only be an historic feat for humanity, but also a huge part of our efforts to reach every hard-to-reach child with a range of life-saving vaccines."

Best,
David

David Gold

Principal, Global Health Strategies

HEALTH-EDUCATION PACKAGE TO PREVENT WORM INFECTIONS IN CHINESE SCHOOLCHILDREN

Franziska A. Bieri, M.Sc., Darren J. Gray, Ph.D., Gail M. Williams, Ph.D., Giovanna Raso, Ph.D., Yue-Sheng Li, Ph.D., Liping Yuan, Ph.D., Yongkang He, M.P.H., Robert S. Li, B.Inf.Tech., Feng-Ying Guo, B.A., Sheng-Ming Li, B.A., and Donald P. McManus, D.Sc.

N Engl J Med 2013; 368:1603-1612April 25, 2013DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1204885

Abstract below; full text is at http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1204885?query=TOC#t=article

Background

Soil-transmitted helminths are among the most prevalent sources of human infections globally. We determined the effect of an educational package at rural schools in Linxiang City District, Hunan province, China, where these worms are prevalent. The intervention aimed to increase knowledge about soil-transmitted helminths, induce behavioral change, and reduce the rate of infection.

Methods

We conducted a single-blind, unmatched, cluster-randomized intervention trial involving 1718 children, 9 to 10 years of age, in 38 schools over the course of 1 school year. Schools were randomly assigned to the health-education package, which included a cartoon video, or to a control package, which involved only the display of a health-education poster. Infection rates, knowledge about soil-transmitted helminths (as assessed with the use of a questionnaire), and hand-washing behavior were assessed before and after the intervention. Albendazole was administered in all the participants at baseline and in all the children who were found to be positive for infection with soil-transmitted helminths at the follow-up assessment at the end of the school year.

Results

At the follow-up assessment, the mean score for the knowledge of helminths, calculated as a percentage of a total of 43 points on a questionnaire, was 90% higher in the intervention group than in the control group (63.3 vs. 33.4, P<0.001), the percentage of children who washed their hands after using the toilet was nearly twice as high in the intervention group (98.9%, vs. 54.2% in the control group; P<0.001), and the incidence of infection with soil-transmitted helminths was 50% lower in the intervention group than in the control group (4.1% vs. 8.4%, P<0.001). No adverse events were observed immediately (within 15 minutes) after albendazole treatment.

Conclusions

The health-education package increased students' knowledge about soil-transmitted helminths and led to a change in behavior and a reduced incidence of infection within 1 school year. (Funded by UBS Optimus Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number, ACTRN12610000048088.)