To improve health and nutrition-level of children in the state, all the children in the age-group of 1 to 19 years enrolled in Aanganwadies, schools and colleges will be administered deworming medicine, on the occasion of National Deworming Day on August 8. This will also include children of juvenile homes and rehab centres.
Under the campaign there is a target to provide deworming medicine 'elbendazol' to nearly 1 crore 12 lakh 60 thousand children of the state.
Deworming campaign is jointly being conducted by Women and Child Development Department, Health Department and Technical Education Department.
In schools, enrolled children will be given deworming medicine by their teachers. In Aanganwadies centres, registered non-registered children, who do not go to school, will be given deworming medicine by Aanganwadi workers. Those who will miss out the dose during the National Deworming Day for any reason will get it on mop-up day on August 16.
Department officials informed that worm infection adversely affects children's health in many ways. Worms consume nutrients from tissues of human body, which leads to deficiency of nutrients in children, hampering their mental and physical growth.
Elbendazol is a safe deworming medicine for both children and adults. Children with excessive infection may experience symptoms such as nausea, vomitting, dehydration, stomach pain and fatigue, after consumption of the medicine. Such situations can be easily managed by school teachers or Aanganwadi workers.