The Medical Health and Family Welfare Department would administer anti-helminthic tablet Albendazole to more than 27 lakh children in the State on February 22. The drive is part of the national de-worming day. Addressing newsmen here on Monday, the Director General (DG) health services, Dr D S Rawat said that 2782282 children between the age group 1-19 would be administered the tablet. He said that the department has also earmarked 302850 school dropouts for the drive. The department would take the services of 11007 Asha, 18735 teachers, 19172 Anganwadi workers, 1807 ANMs and 638 National Health Mission workers in the mega drive. The drove would cover 1200156 students of government schools, 746120 students of private schools and 533456 students enrolled in Anganwadi centres.
The DG health informed that the state government has purchased 1983692 tablets while remaining consignment was with the districts.
He appealed the parents to send their wards compulsorily on February 22 so that the tablet could be administered to them.
For left out children the department would organize a mop up round on February 28.
Dr Rawat further informed that the children between the ages I – 2 would be given half tablet while children between age 2 to 19 would be administered one tablet.
The helminthic worms are the cause of malnutrition and retarded growth in a large number of children. The helminthes are the parasites that absorb nutrition from the body tissues and induce malnutrition which adversely affect growth of body and apart from physical growth the worm also affects mental growth of the individual. The medical experts are of the view that de-worming helps in increasing attendance of students’ up to 25 percent in the schools. The DG who himself is a pediatrician said that the helminthic infection occurs by defecating in open, walking barefooted, keeping low personal hygiene and eating infected food. He said that the symptoms of the disease are retarded growth, anemia, loss of appetite, stomach ache, vomiting and irregular bowels.