(Not-so) radical giving, day 2: Schistosomiasis Control Initiative

Schistosomiasis is probably not something you’ve ever heard of (or can even pronounce), but this disease caused by a parasitic worm affects 252 million people globally. Aside from the fact that it’s super unpleasant to have critters colonizing your insides, one of the best arguments for deworming children is that it allows them to spend more time in a classroom.
In fact, according to Doing Good Better, a randomized control trial in Kenya tested various methods for getting kids to class: supplying more textbooks (instead of getting 30 children to share one), supplying flip charts as a teaching aid, and increasing the number of teachers. None of these seemingly smart strategies increased attendance. But when the researcher tried deworming? 25% fewer kids missed class, which works out to an additional two weeks of school per child. And those two weeks added up: it meant that after 10 years, dewormed children earned 20% more. (That said, the level of worms they were dealing with were likely much more significant than the ones encountered now.)
And deworming is super cheap. The Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, one of the top-ranked charities according to GiveWell and The Life You Can Save, works with governments in Sub-Saharan Africa to administer deworming drugs for about $0.50 a child (or $1.09 if you count the value of government contributions and donated drugs). So my $20 CDN means that about 30 children will get dewormed and spend more time in school and less time on the toilet.
To get a tax receipt, I’ve donated through RC Forward, and Americans can donate through GiveWell. Because why not? Money saved means more to give. GiveWell also gives top marks to other deworming initiatives: Sightsavers and Deworm the World Initiative.
It may not be the most glamorous thing to cure, but anyone who’s ever had the stomach flu will tell you glamour isn’t everything.
