The Copenhagen Consensus Center ranks deworming fourth among the sixteen most cost-effective investments to overcome the world’s biggest challenges in 2012. This list is compiled by an expert panel of Nobel Laureate economists charged with determining the smartest ways to advance global welfare, particularly in developing countries. The panel recommends that US$300 million be allocated annually for deworming, providing an endorsement that policymakers and philanthropists can look to when prioritizing allocation of limited resources.

Nobel laureate economist Robert Mundell is quoted by the Center, saying: “Deworming is an overlooked intervention deserving of greater attention and resources. This simple, cheap investment can mean a child is healthier and spends more time in school.”

Deworming is mentioned in three of the ten challenge papers due to its impact on education, health, and nutrition status of school-age children. To learn more about the economists’ rankings and read the outcomes and challenge papers, please visit the Copenhagen Consensus Center website, and see the related Slate articles by Center Director Bjørn Lomborg on strategies for fixing education, and the best solutions to combat infectious diseases.