Children Without Worms is a partnership between Johnson & Johnson and The Task Force for Global Health that supports global efforts to reduce the burden of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections in children who are most severely infected or at high-risk of infection and have limited access to safe and effective treatment. Children Without Worms achieves its goal by working with national programs to leverage the donation of mebendazole from Johnson & Johnson to promote comprehensive and sustainable control of STH.
Technical and strategic advice for this program is provided by an independent group of experts called the Mebendazole Advisory Committee. Children Without Worms is one of four Task Force programs focused on neglected tropical diseases. The program objectives are to:
Support recipient countries in reducing STH infections as a public health and child development problem in accord with the 2001 resolution of the World Health Assembly by donating mebendazole to children in communities with the heaviest worm burden in order to reduce associated morbidities,enhance education and promote child development.
Encourage recipient countries to establish a comprehensive and sustainable STH control policy that combines mass treatment with the promotion of health behavior change and improvements in sanitation and safe water supplies.
Increase the use of effective partnerships in the control of STH infections at the country level.
