Timeline of deworming

This is a timeline of deworming, and specifically mass deworming.

Big picture

Time period	Key developments
1851–1915	Understanding of and interest in schistosomiasis deepens as more people come in contact with the disease.
1948–present	Following World War II, the World Health Organization "has been the principal body concerned with the international support of research and control programmes" of schistosomiasis.[1]^:266 However despite this and the implementation of programs, prevalence of schistosomiasis increases in many areas.[1]^:262
1949–1997	Both Japan and South Korea successfully implement national programs to essentially eliminate soil-transmitted helminthiasis.
2001–present	The World Health Assembly declares deworming as a focus. Various deworming organizations form.

Full timeline

Year	Event type	Event	Disease name	Geographic location
16th century BC		Schistosome parasites thought to first evolve in the Great Lakes of East Africa around this period.[1]	Schistosomiasis	Africa
1799–1801	Crisis	Napoleon's solidiers almost certainly suffer from haematuria caused by schistosomiasis infection.[1]	Schistosomiasis
1851	Discovery	Theodor Bilharz discovers the parasite responsible for schistosomiasis.[1]	Schistosomiasis
1882	Publication	First mention of schistosomiasis in The Lancet.[1]	Schistosomiasis
1883		Interest in schistosomiasis heightens in England (and Europe more generally) due to more frequent encounter with the disease following English occupation of Egypt.[1]	Schistosomiasis	England, Egypt
1893–1918	Program launch	Four commissions designed to understand schistosomiasis are sent to North Africa.[1]	Schistosomiasis	Africa
1909	Organization	The Rockefeller Sanitary Commission for the Eradication of Hookworm Disease (RSC) is founded. One of RSC's main goals is to eradicate hookworm disease in Southern United States.[2][3] The RSC is active from 1910–1914, and closes in 1915.[4]	Hookworm	United States
1915	Discovery	Robert Thomson Leiper works out the life-cycle of schistosomiasis.[1]	Schistosomiasis
1927–1951		Attempts are made to kill the intermediate hosts for schistosomiasis (i.e. snails) using copper sulfate instead of sanitation and health education. The reasoning here is to prevent the schistosomiasis life-cycle from being completed. However it is unclear if these measures reduced the prevalence of schistosomiasis.[1]	Schistosomiasis
1938		Schistosomiasis Commission proposed by Hilmy Bey; the League of Nations Health Committee suggests more research on the disease, but nothing is done due to the imminence of World War II (among other reasons).[1]	Schistosomiasis
1939–1945	Crisis	Allied soldiers affected by schistosomiasis in China, the Philippines, and the Pacific Islands. This brings the disease to international attention.[1]	Schistosomiasis
1942	Program launch	Schistosomiasis control program begins in Venezuela.[1]	Schistosomiasis	Venezuela
1947	Publication	First assessment of the distribution of schistosomiasis in the world by Norman Stoll.[1]	Schistosomiasis
1948	Program launch	The first World Health Assembly decides to establish an "Expert Committee" to deal with schistosomiasis.[1]	Schistosomiasis
1949	Program launch	Volunteer organizations for deworming form in Tokyo and Osaka, which implement "biannual school-based mass screening and treatment".[4]	Soil-transmitted helminthiasis	Japan
1955	Program launch	Japan Association of Parasite Control (JAPC) forms. JAPC is a consolidation of several previous deworming groups that existed.[4]	Soil-transmitted helminthiasis	Japan
1965–1995	Program launch	Korea Association for Parasite Eradication models their deworming program (a "biannual school-based mass screening and treatment program") off Japanese programs.[4]	Soil-transmitted helminthiasis, hookworm, etc.	South Korea
mid-1980s		Under Japan Association of Parasite Control, deworming efforts lead to "very minimal levels" of Ascaris.[4]	Soil-transmitted helminthiasis	Japan
1997		The World Health Organization declares South Korea "essentially worm-free".[4]	Soil-transmitted helminthiasis	South Korea
2001		The World Health Assembly declares the goal of 75% of schoolchildren in endemic areas receiving deworming treatment.[3]^:2	Schistosomiasis, Soil-transmitted helminthiasis[5]
2002	Organization	The Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) established after being funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.[6] Since 2013 SCI has been a GiveWell top charity.	Schistosomiasis
2007	Organization	Deworm the World Initiative is founded.[7] Since 2014 Deworm the World Initiative has been a GiveWell top charity.	Soil-transmitted helminthiasis
2012	Program launch	Various organizations announce a coordinated effort to eliminate or control 10 neglected tropical diseases, including both schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis.[8]	Schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis
2015		The "deworming debate" takes place starting in July on whether deworming is effective.[9]

See also

• Timeline of global health
• List of diseases eliminated from the United States
• Helminthiasis
• Soil-transmitted helminthiasis
• Schistosomiasis
• Timeline of cholera

References

1. Sandbach, F. R. (July 1976). "The History of Schistosomiasis Research and Policy for Its Control" (PDF). Retrieved April 16, 2016.
2. "Rockefeller Sanitary Commission (RSC)". The Rockefeller Foundation. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
3. Donald A.P. Bundy, Judd L. Walson, and Kristie L. Watkins (2013). "Worms, wisdom, and wealth: why deworming can make economic sense" (PDF). Retrieved April 16, 2016.
4. "STH Elimination Strategy Support - Objective 1: Past STH Elimination Programs" (PDF). University of Washington Global Health START Program. February 17, 2015.
5. "WHA54.19 Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminth infections" (PDF). World Health Organization.
6. "About". Schistosomiasis Control Initiative. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
7. "Deworm the World Initiative, led by Evidence Action". GiveWell. April 2016.
8. "Table of Commitments" (PDF). Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
9. "Timeline: the deworming debate". The Cochrane Collaboration. Retrieved April 23, 2016.