As part of the National De-worming Day programme, children between the ages of 1 and 19 would be administered de-worming tablets on Thursday.
The tablets will be distributed through anganwadis, schools, colleges and para-medical institutes. The Health department will organise the day’s programme in association with the Education department, Social Justice department and local self governments.
The Health department has said that children, who had taken de-worming tablets even a week ago, should participate in the mass drug administration programme. Children in the defined age group, who do not go to anganwadi or schools on Thursday, would be given the tablets by ASHA workers from the nearest anganwadi.
There are 7,38,682 children under the target age group. The dosage is specified as 200-gm tablet for children between 1 and 2 years, and 400-gm tablet for the rest to be taken after the afternoon meal.
The day, which is observed twice a year on February 10 and August 10, could not be held in August this year because of the incessant rain and the following floods. The national programme was initiated on February 10, 2015. The programme was started in the district on August 10, 2016. From 61.13% at the first event, the number of children covered under the programme steadily went up to 76.31% on February 10, 2017, 83% on August 10, 2017 and 88.09% on February 10, 2018.
The district-level inauguration of the day will be held at the MAHS School, Kakkanad, at 1 p.m. by Asha Sanil, District Panchayat President.
The national de-worming day was initiated after it was estimated that the country has the highest burden of soil-transmitted helminths, which are parasitic intestinal worms. According to the World Health Organisation, 241 million children are at the risk of these worm infections. The worm infestations happen because of poor sanitation and hygiene conditions and are easily transmitted among children through contact with the infected soil.
Worm infestation results in anaemia and under-nutrition, thereby impairing mental and physical development. It has been documented that 7 out of 10 children in the 6 to 59 months age group are anaemic, with even higher rates of anaemia in rural areas. Nearly half of the children under five in the country are stunted and approximately 43% are underweight.