Haiti
Evaluation of the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Safety of Policies and Procedures During Albendazole Distribution for Preschool-aged Children
To successfully combat the serious health effects of soil-transmitted helminthiases, the World Health Organization recommends that the deworming medication be crushed for children under three years old to minimize choking incidences. Vitamin Angels, a nonprofit NGO that provides supplements to children around the world to ensure healthy development, crushes these deworming tablets for all children under the age of 59 months. This project seeks to measure the WHO’s practices against those of Vitamin Angels, and to ultimately develop recommendations that will further improve the child deworming process.
Research Focus
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Infectious Diseases
At the EIGH, our researchers work to combat a number of various illnesses, including infectious diseases caused by organisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. These diseases can also be spread from one person to another and may be transmitted from animals to humans.
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Maternal/Child and Community Health
At the EIGH, our researchers explore multifaceted health issues pertaining to women, pregnancy, breastfeeding, reproduction, and infant and child well-being. Our focus to decrease maternal and infant mortality rates supports a global priority among health practitioners and researchers. Additionally, community-based research on the local and global levels promotes a team effort to protect and improve the health of population groups worldwide.
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Vector-borne Diseases
Vector-borne disease research is a historic strength of the EIGH. Our researchers study multiple parts of the vector-borne disease lifecycle, such as how the parasites, viruses, and bacteria cause these kinds of diseases, how the vectors spread these diseases, and how to improve prevention methods in tropical and subtropical areas, which have the highest burden of vector-borne illnesses.
Who’s Involved
EIGH Faculty
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David Addiss
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Lacey Ahern
Global Partners
- Vitamin Angels, California
Additional Information
Publications
Kernell, J., DePaola, R., Maglione, A., Ahern, L., Penney, N., & Addiss, D. Risk of adverse swallowing events and choking during deworming for preschool-aged children.
Capstone Projects
Kernell, J., DePaola, R., & Maglione, A. (2017) Evaluation of the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Safety of Policies and Procedures During Albendazole Distribution for Preschool-Aged Children.