A new pill cures preschoolers of a parasitic worm. Delivering it could be a challenge

Children in Nasarawa, Nigeria, hold samples of their urine specimens. Blood in the urine is a sign of Schistosomiasis, a microscopic worm that, left untreated, can damage organs as well as cause learning delays. A new pill has been developed to treat preschoolers. (Wes Pope/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

When Dr. Isaac Chikwanha was a kid in Zimbabwe, he got schistosomiasis.

At the time, he didn't think about the cause of this parasitic disease: a worm that penetrates your skin and takes up residence in your blood vessels. And he didn't worry about short-term health consequences – such as blood in your urine – and he didn't know about the long-term consequences when the disease goes untreated, including organ damage and reduced learning ability.