Deworming across Odisha to boost child health on April 4

BHUBANESWAR: With an aim to protect children from Soil Transmitted Helminthes (STH) infections like round worms, hook worms and whip worms, the State Government has decided to go for mass deworming in all schools and Anganwadi centres across the State on April 4. As per the decision, all children from one year to 19 years will be dewormed on National Deworming Day and those who missed the dose due to illness or absence on that day will be covered on the mop-up-day on April 11 during the bi-annual exercise.

Soil Transmitted Helminthes is caused by different species of roundworms, which are transmitted through soil after getting contaminated with faecal matter. It is most common parasitic disease worldwide as it spreads due to lack of sanitation, hygiene and practice of open defecation.Around 38 per cent children are estimated to have STH in Odisha which has a detrimental impact on them impairing physical growth, anaemia, under-nutrition and cognitive development besides hampering school attendance.

Since administration of periodic deworming drugs (Albendazole) can reduce the transmission of the infection, deworming is identified as one of the important strategies of National Nutrition Mission (NNM).
The Government has issued guidelines and asked all district Collectors to undertake intensive generation activities focusing benefits of consuming Albendazole and adaption of sanitation and hygiene practices. They have been told to promote the vision of open defecation-free villages in every panchayat through the programme. 

As per the guideline, the officials have been directed to focus on out of school children in the age group of six to 19 as they are nutritionally more vulnerable and have anaemia in significant numbers. ASHA workers will mobilise such children to Anganwadi centres for deworming. Trained health staff, who have been assigned the job, have been asked to administer Albendazole tablets or suspension to children in schools and Anganwadi centres before 12 noon so that a medical team can attend if any adverse event occurs at the consumption points.The district chiefs have been instructed to conduct special drives to include private schools in urban and rural areas and involve National Urban Health Mission units wherever available for successful rolling out of the State-wide deworming campaign.