Can de-worming really improve school attendance?

A decade ago a landmark study was published showing that treating Kenyan children for worm infections could increase their attendance at school, as well as bringing health benefits. Since then, many development agencies across Africa have taken the idea on board, as it seems like a cheap, effective and simple way to boost attendance. However,researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have been taking a closer look at the original data, and found that the benefits of de-worming may have been overstated, as Alex Aiken explained to Kat Arney. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists