"My Stomach Hurts!" - Intestinal Worms in India

“My stomach hurts!” is a phrase often spoken by young children, and the causes of stomach pain are numerous. However, when spoken by a child in India, a common cause of stomach discomfort is parasites, or intestinal worms.

Intestinal worms find their way to the gastro-intestinal tract through ingestion of undercooked meat, drinking infected water or skin absorption. Symptoms include anemia, nausea, vomiting, fever, loss of weight, constant desire for food and diarrhea. Although everyone is susceptible to intestinal worms, children are most vulnerable to infection. In fact, according to UNICEF, diarrhea and worm infection are rated as two major health conditions that affect children in India.

India Partners is helping to treat intestinal worm infections by distributing de-worming medicines through medical clinics in remote, rural villages in India that have no access to health care. De-worming medicines, antibiotics and other common yet expensive medications are provided at no cost to those who are too poor to acquire them. Thanks to these medicines, patients often receive relief from their symptoms within days of ingestion.

Recently, India Partners sent $165,000 worth of medicines to India to cure the sick. Below is a story from one family who received relief from de-worming medicines distributed by India Partners.

Gopala Rao was the father of two sons who had been suffering from stomach pain for the last three months. Gopala Rao had no money to pay for a doctor check up for his children, so he would buy tablets from the medical shop for stomach pain. The children continually suffered from the pain, and the tablets provided no relief. Gopala Rao heard that India Partners was administering a free medical camp in a village near his home. He took his two sons to the camp, and the camp doctors performed a check up on his sons. The doctor identified unusual skin formations, in addition to the stomach pain, and prescribed the two boys de-worming medicine. Four days later the boys’ stomach pain was gone and the skin formations had disappeared. The two children were so happy and relieved from their pain. The family was so thankful to India Partners for distributing the de-worming medicines.

You can help provide relief for intestinal worms!

$35 will treat 50 patients with intestinal worms

$70 will treat 100 patients with intestinal worms

Click "Donate Now" and select “De-worming Medicines” from the drop-down menu. Thank you.