52 lakh children to get deworming tablets

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 10

On National Deworming Day, Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Pawan Kotwal said around 52 lakh children would be administered deworming tablets in the state.

Kotwal was speaking at the National Deworming Day programme organised by the Chief Medical Officer, Srinagar, at Auditorium Hall, Government Higher Secondary School, Sonwar. Kotwal was the chief guest and inaugurated the programme.

The programme was also attended by Director General, Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Saleem Ur Rehman and students.

Kotwal emphasised maintaining cleanliness, hygiene and proper sanitation in houses, schools and workplaces to avoid diseases such as anaemia, blood deficiency and other diseases caused by the worm infection, particularly among the children in the age group of 1-19.

Urging parents to ensure children were administered deworming tablets, he said worms could affect the growth of children, mentally as well as physically.

He said the children between the age group of 1 to 6 would be administered deworming tablets at anganwari centres, while those above six years of age would be covered at schools, orphanages and religious institutions in order to improve their overall health, nutritional status, access to education and quality of life.

He said every year, two rounds of deworming were conducted on August 10 and February 10 in the country which had the soil-transmitted helminths prevalence of over 50 per cent.

The Director General, Health Services, Kashmir, while speaking on the occasion, directed the officials of the health department to ensure 100 per cent deworming coverage. He also stressed proper food practices and behaviour change in terms of cleanliness, hygiene, use of toilets, wearing shoes and washing hands to reduce the worm infection.