(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Fund to fight NTDs will benefit 900000 students Students in Vietnam will benefit from a new humanitarian investment of $2 million by Dubai Cares. The fund will help more than 900000 students benefit from the new health and education initiative.
The large-scale humanitarian mission will reach 2600 schools across Vietnam and help reduce absenteeism in schools by combating incidents of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD’s). Working in partnership with Thrive Networks an international development organisation Dubai Cares will also roll out a school-based deworming programme across four rural provinces in Vietnam.
Commenting on the partnership and the programme in Vietnam Tariq Al Gurg CEO of Dubai Cares said “With programmes in 35 countries Dubai Cares relies on key partnerships with organisations such as Thrive Networks to effectively implement a variety of programmes across the globe. Through this programme we will be supporting an integrated and holistic initiative that sees all members of the community work together to ensure success against this devastating issue.”
Along with treating the children the programme will also train teachers and community health workers to administer medicines to students at schools thereby ensuring a cost-effective and scalable approach. In addition the programme will see teachers and 10000 individuals including health workers and local Vietnam Women’s Union members receive training to deliver education in their communities on improving personal hygiene handling food properly and eliminating unsafe soil fertilisation practices. The knowledge and educational components of the programme will ultimately benefit the wider community as it helps keep reinfestation rates low.
The programme supports the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to give children — regardless of their nationality creed or religion — the opportunity to become positive contributors to society by eliminating the barriers to education that children in developing countries face on a daily basis.
NTDs such as Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) more commonly known as intestinal worms have long been known to limit physical and mental growth in children affecting participation and productivity in schools.
Minh Chau Nguyen Vietnam country director of Thrive Networks said “The benefit of the deworming medicine cannot be fully realised if the child is quickly re-infected because of unsanitary unhygienic conditions at home or in the broader community. We are excited to launch a first-of-its-kind integrated approach to deworming that includes improving access to sanitation and raising awareness of hygienic practices. The project offers a significant opportunity for the WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools) and NTD communities to collaborate learn from each other and generate evidence that will motivate global communities to adopt an integrated approach to help eradicate STH.”
muazkhaleejtimes.com
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.