The benefits of mass deworming on health outcomes: new evidence synthesis, the debate persists.

Soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis affect more than 1 billion people, with the greatest burden in the poorest regions of the world. The global strategy for addressing these parasitic worm infections is mass deworming with anthelminthic drugs that are periodically administered to school-aged children and other high-risk groups. Traditionally, mass deworming is provided to all school-aged children, rather than a screen-and-treat approach. The goal is to control morbidity at the population level, which might reduce disease transmission.