Journal article

Wash for worms: A cluster-randomized controlled trial of the impact of a community integrated water, sanitation, and hygiene and deworming intervention on soil-transmitted helminth infections

SV Nery, RJ Traub, JS McCarthy, NE Clarke, S Amaral, S Llewellyn, E Weking, A Richardson, SJ Campbell, DJ Gray, AJ Vallely, GM Williams, RM Andrews, ACA Clements

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene | AMER SOC TROP MED & HYGIENE | Published : 2019

Abstract

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions have been proposed as an important complement to deworming programs for sustainable control of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections. We aimed to determine whether a community-based WASH program had additional benefits in reducing STH infections compared with community deworming alone. We conducted the WASH for WORMS cluster-randomized controlled trial in 18 rural communities in Timor-Leste. Intervention communities received a WASH intervention that provided access to an improved water source, promoted improved household sanitation, and encouraged handwashing with soap. All eligible community members in intervention and control arms re..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council


Funding Acknowledgements

N. E. C. is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship, A. C. A. C. and A. J. V. are supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Senior Research Fellowship, J. S. M. is an Australian NHMRC Practitioner Fellow, and D. J. G. is an Australian NHMRC Career Development Fellow. This work is funded by an NHMRC Partnership project in collaboration with WaterAid Australia [1013713]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.