01501nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001260005200042653001400094653002300108653001400131653001800145100001200163700001300175700001000188700001300198700001500211700001300226700001400239245007500253856006000328300000900388490000800397520080500405022002501210       2024                            d  bProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences10aDeworming10acost-effectiveness10aNutrition10aMeta-analysis1 aCroke K1 aHamory J1 aHsu E1 aKremer M1 aMaertens R1 aMiguel E1 aWięcek W00aMeta-analysis and public policy: Reconciling the evidence on deworming  uhttps://www.pnas.org/doi/reader/10.1073/pnas.2308733121  a1-120 v1213 a<p>The WHO recommends mass drug administration (MDA) for intestinal worm infections in areas with over 20% infection prevalence. Recent Cochrane meta-analyses endorse treatment of infected individuals but recommend against MDA. We conducted a theory-agnostic random-effects meta-analysis of the effect of multiple-dose MDA and a cost-effectiveness analysis. We estimate significant effects of MDA on child weight (0.15 kg, 95% CI: 0.07, 0.24; P &lt; 0.001), mid-upper arm circumference (0.20 cm, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.37; P = 0.02), and height (0.09 cm, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.16; P = 0.02) when prevalence is over 20% but not on Hb (0.06 g/dL, 95% CI: −0.01, 0.14; P = 0.1). These results suggest that MDA is a cost-effective intervention, particularly in the settings where it is recommended by the WHO.</p>
  a0027-8424, 1091-6490