DUSHABE, October 1, 2012, Asia-Plus – On Monday October 1, the Director of the Republican Tropical Disease Center, the U.S. Civil Affairs Team, and the Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation (RVF) visited School #141 and School #1 in the Vahdat Township as part of an ongoing US-Tajik health initiative aimed at reducing the overall rate of soil-transmitted helminthic infections in Tajikistan, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe said.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and implemented by the U.S. based NGO RVF, this program was aimed at treating women of child bearing age and children under 17 throughout Tajikistan.  The first round of treatment was administered in April.  During this subsequent round, two medications Albendazole and Praziquantel were distributed to all schools in Tajikistan, reaching approximately 1.7 million children.  In addition to the medication, RVF provided training to medical professionals and educators on how to prevent re-infection.  The main cause of helminthic infection is the contamination of water sources from raw sewage and poor sanitation.

The de-worming program is another example of the U.S. commitment to improving the lives of Tajik citizens.  Since 1992, the American people have provided more than $984 million in programs and humanitarian aid that support Tajikistan’s democratic institutions, health care, education, and economic growth.