List date(s) this work was published or aired.
4-Apr-12
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Intestinal worms are pervasive in the developing world and can have devastating effects. But there is growing awareness about how easy and inexpensive it is to treat worms, as well as surprising longer-term socioeconomic benefits. Research shows deworming to be extremely cost-effective: you get a lot of bang for your buck. This February in Delhi 3.7 million children took deworming pills as part of a campaign to stamp out the widespread but neglected ailment. Bihar, an eastern state for years practically synonymous with poverty in India, last year dewormed a staggering 17 million schoolchildren. Andhra Pradesh, in southern India, distributed deworming tablets to 2 million children in 2009.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Economic research papers from economists at Harvard, UC Berkeley and U. Chicago. Reports from Deworm the World, Unicef, WHO, World Economic Forum.
Explain types of human sources used.
Field visit with Deworm the World NGO team in Delhi in February. In-person interviews with Delhi health minister, Delhi minister of women and child development. Phone interviews with economists Michael Kremer of Harvard and Edward Miguel of UC Berkeley. Email interview with Hoyt Bleakley, economist at U. Chicago. Interviews with Deworm the World staff in Delhi. Phone interview with Deworm the World managing director in New York. In person interviews with school children, teachers, health workers. Press conference launch with chief minister of Delhi.
Results:
A Nobel-prize winning scientist reached out to Deworm the World, citing this article, and is exploring ways his community can support mass deworming treatment efforts (whether through examining drug resistance or other areas).
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the location of the Indian state of Bihar; it is in the eastern part of the country, not the west. The article also misidentified ringworm as a soil-transmitted helminth. It is a fungal infection.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
I heard about this project several years ago and kept in touch with Deworm the World. I kept track of when the Delhi deworming campaign would happen as a news peg and kept looking for a venue for this article. Read widely. I stumbled upon the NYT’s Fixes column and realized it was the perfect venue for this story. I was extremely careful with checking that my interpretation of the economic research cited in the article was accurate.