‘How do we encourage high participation in a mass-drug administration trial?’ was the question Moudachirou Ibikounlé and Adrian Luty, the site principle investigators of DeWorm3 in Benin had to answer, as the team prepared to sensitise their local communities to a large scale campaign to provide treatment in a research trial to investigate the feasibility of eliminating intestinal worms. They needed a high number of individuals across a large age range to agree to take medication, and in some cases provide urine and stool samples, over the next three to five years.

Starting as a project for a local youth group, an awareness song was launched at a DeWorm3 lead community event to a live crowd. The success of the piece lead to a professionally recorded track by the youth group members. The song has been played across the district of Comé and feedback from community members has shown that it has led to increased education about intestinal worms and the aims of the deworming campaign, especially amongst teenage audiences. The chorus says ‘we need to eliminate’ and ‘we need to get treatment’ while the main lyrics talk about the project, the effects of intestinal worms and urge people to listen to the experts for a better health. Year 1 of the Benin campaign has had high coverage of the target population treated during MDA.