On the occasion of the first World Day for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Dubai Cares partnered with Evidence Action to support the efforts of the Pakistani government to combat the spread of intestinal worms among students. As part of this partnership, Dubai Cares, as part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, launched a 3-year program to combat intestinal worms among school-age children with the aim of improving their health and thereby enhancing their educational outcomes. The program will benefit 16.8 million children between the ages of 5-14 in each of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, the capital, Islamabad, Sindh, and Punjab, and it has been filled with a dress, with a value of 11,020,500 AED (3,000,000 USD).
The program, entitled "Fighting Intestinal Worms in Pakistan's Schools", is part of the global efforts of Evidence Action to combat intestinal worms by implementing evidence-based and cost-effective models. Intestinal worm control program will be implemented by the Pakistani government in partnership with Evidence Action Foundation in 44 provinces where the spread of intestinal worms requires a large-scale control operation annually. IRD, Indus Health Network and Evidence Action will provide technical assistance to ensure high quality delivery and monitoring of the program. The program provides training to equip government employees, health sector employees, and teachers with the skills and frameworks needed to implement treatments to control intestinal worms among students in governorates that are at risk.
With this new program in Pakistan, Dubai Cares has fulfilled its commitment to the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases 2012 to control intestinal worms. It is worth noting that in 2014 Dubai Cares joined the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases in Paris, which represented a global alliance chaired by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and includes 13 leading pharmaceutical companies and global health organizations in addition to private institutions and donors and governments all pledged to provide support to reduce The weight of neglected tropical diseases.
Commenting on the importance of the program in tackling neglected tropical diseases, Dr. Tariq Mohammed Al Gurg, CEO of Dubai Cares and member of its board of directors, said: “While we are proud of our commitment to our commitment to the London Declaration on neglected tropical diseases, we will continue to support our global efforts to combat these diseases until After this commitment is fulfilled, our program in Pakistan is a true embodiment of our tireless efforts to combat intestinal worms in schools globally. Through this program, which is fully in line with the Pakistani government’s endeavors, we seek to address the risk of infection by passing away Do treatment directly in schools to ensure the greatest possible positive impact. "
Speaking about the importance of intestinal worm control programs, Grace Hollister, Principal Officer of the Intestinal Worm Control Program around the world at Evidence Action, said: “Like Dubai Cares, we consider the process of intestinal worm control to be an important intervention that contributes to global development due to its multiple benefits. Low cost which is important for children's health. The use of existing educational and health infrastructures provides an effective way for the government to treat children at risk, and most importantly, it provides measurable improvements in health and education to the younger generation in Pakistan. ”
The intestinal worm control program is the latest program for the Pakistani government in its determined efforts to address the various challenges facing the education sector. A national survey, conducted to assess the prevalence of intestinal worms among students in Pakistan, revealed that about 17 million school-age children need to get rid of these diseases regularly. The current government spending on health care services is about 2.6% of Pakistan's gross domestic product, which limits the level and efficiency of health procedures in the country. Pakistan currently ranks second in the world in terms of the number of children out of school, with an estimated number of 22.8 million children between the ages of 5-16, representing 44%