Bringing Effective, Low-cost Health and Nutrition Treatments to Millions of Children

Half of all children in Malawi suffer from parasitic worm infections and/or anemia. These conditions lead to blood loss, malnutrition, and impaired development, posing a serious threat to children’s health, education, and future productivity. In the long term, a child who is frequently ill or anemic may struggle in school and earn less as an adult.
Proven remedies exist: deworming medication can eliminate parasites, and iron and folic acid (IFA) supplements can treat anemia. However, many children in Malawi do not receive these basic treatments. Gaps in healthcare access and delivery mean these inexpensive interventions fail to reach all who need them.

Integrated National Program: With support from our grant, Evidence Action is partnering with the Government of Malawi to launch a large-scale health and nutrition program. The program will combine mass deworming treatments with widespread iron and folic acid supplementation for children. By bundling these services and working through existing government systems, the intervention can efficiently tackle two major causes of childhood illness at once.
School & Community Delivery: The program will use schools and community health networks to reach children where they already are. School-based deworming drives and community health workers will ensure even remote or out-of-school children are treated. This approach is expected to reach 3.5 million children across Malawi every year, achieving national coverage for deworming in the first year and full coverage for anemia prevention by year three.
Expert Implementation: Evidence Action has a strong track record of scaling similar programs in multiple countries. They will work closely with Malawi’s health and education ministries to integrate the effort into routine operations. This includes training local healthcare providers and teachers, supplying medications and supplements, and conducting outreach in communities. The goal is not a one-time campaign, but a sustainable program embedded in Malawi’s health system for the long term.

The program will achieve national coverage for deworming in the first year and full scale for IFA supplementation by the third year.
Evidence Action has a strong track record of scaling similar programs globally, and the program integrates into Malawi’s health system and policies for long-term sustainability.

The program, at less than $1.35 per child treated, is expected to avert 788,000 cases of anemia at a cost per DALY averted of $161.
This is 4x more cost-effective than the WHO threshold for "very cost-effective" interventions, with an estimated $25 return for every $1 spent.

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