Does your child complain of stomach ache? Don’t brush it off as their excuse for missing school. It could be the first sign of intestinal worm infection.
Infections transmitted from worms in the soil, referred to as soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are common in areas of poor unhygienic sanitation. Starting with the symptom of a stomach pain, the infection among children can lead to malnourishment, anaemia, and insufficiency in their physical and cognitive development.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which first launched the single-day across the country strategy — National Deworming Day in February 2015 — to combat worm infestation, is conducting this year’s second round of deworming on Thursday.
All children aged 1-19 will be administered ‘Albendazole’ — a chewable tablet — at all schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres. “The district made a 90% coverage in February 2017, which was also close to the national coverage (89%) achieved. This time we want to make it a 100 %,” District Immunization Officer A. Bala Narendra said. A mop-up programme to cover left out children in far-flung areas and absentees in schools will also be conducted on August 23. “We have taken out rallies and created awareness in all the three divisions — Nalgonda, Miryalaguda and Devarakonda,” he said.
A total of about 3.96 lakh children (aged 1-19) are targeted under the programme in the district. The largest ever public health intervention in a single day, the National Deworming Day will administer the efficacious drug to more than 31 crore children in the country.