Magic Glasses a cheap weapon in the battle against infection

The Magic Glasses Philippines. Copyright: The authors of www.researchprotocols.org/2020/6/e18419/ - An innovative health education program could help reduce the prevalence of intestinal worms at very little cost, a new study from The Australian National University (ANU) has shown. Intestinal worms are among the world's most common infections, with more than 900 million people infected worldwide. Lead author of the study, PhD candidate Mary Lorraine Mationg, said intestinal worms are a "disease of poverty", primarily affecting children in areas where sanitation is poor. To help combat this, a team of researchers from ANU, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, The University of Queensland, and the Philippines' Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) developed a cartoon to teach children the importance of good hygiene. The study conducted in the Philippines has shown the Magic Glasses program is not only effective but could be rolled out for less than US$1 per student. This cost would be dramatically reduced if the program is scaled up across the country.  "Currently, the focus when it comes to intestinal worms is on mass drug administration to at-risk children.