Estimation of the cost of large-scale school deworming programmes with benzimidazoles

This study estimates the cost of distributing benzimidazole tablets in the context of school deworming programmes: we analysed studies reporting the cost of school deworming from seven countries in four WHO regions. The estimated cost for drug procurement to cover one million children (including customs clearance and international transport) is approximately US$20000. The estimated financial costs (including the cost of training of personnel, drug transport, social mobilization and monitoring) is, on average, equivalent to US$33000 per million school-age children with minimal variation in different countries and continents. The estimated economic costs of distribution (including the time spent by teachers, and health personnel at central, provincial and district level) to cover one million children approximately corresponds to US$19000. This study shows the minimal cost of school deworming activities, but also shows the significant contribution (corresponding to a quarter of the entire cost of the programme) provided by health and education systems in endemic countries even in the case of drug donations and donor support of distribution costs.