CIHR's Institute of Population and Public Health

Worms Belong in Gardens

Canadian health research efforts in Peru

The Global Health Research Initiative is a partnership between CIHR, the Canadian International Development Agency, Health Canada and the International Development Research Centre.     
Belen, Peru

Finding
Extreme poverty and hunger remain a daily reality for more than one billion people worldwide, a situation that creates serious health problems. Researchers from Canada and Peru completed the first comprehensive health survey of a community in Peru's Amazon basin. They documented alarming statistics, including that more than 80% of schoolchildren had worm infections and 33% were stunted due to malnutrition.

Impact
Community and policy-makers can't plan for ways to improve health without first understanding the extent and nature of health problems. Information from the survey is the first step towards future health improvement efforts. The project also helped build capacity for continued research efforts.

Team
Dr. Theresa Gyorkos (left) from McGill University and Dr. Martin Casapia (right) of the Asociación Civil Selva Amazónica and Universidad Nacional de la Amazona led the research team.