State targets to deworm 8 lakh children
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, March 16 2022: With the launch of 'National Deworming Day' to be observed from March 16 to April 8, the health and family welfare department and State Health Society, NHM jointly organised a media sensitisation programme at the con ference hall of family welfare department located along BT Road, here on Wednesday.

Director (education) N Nandakumar, who was chief guest of the programme, said that youth comprise one third of entire population of the country and mydiah' age of the country will be 29 years after seven years.

When median age reached 29 years, the country will have highest number of youth population.

According to Nandakumar, around 80 percent of children in the country who are in the age group of 1-19 years suffer from different diseases as they have worms.

This makes children in this age group idle and distract them from focusing on education and learning and hence deworming programme is be ing initiated to prevent them from infections by worms.

The programme is being initiated jointly by education and social welfare departments as children in this age group are associated either with Anganwadi centres or schools, he added.

The director also said that education department has issued a notification instructing ZEOs to collect deworming tablets from CMOs concerned for distribution to headmasters of schools.

He then appealed to all concerned including school authorities to make the mission successful.

Delivering the keynote address of the programme, SNO (child health) Dr A Sylvia said that National Deworming Day for the state will be conducted from March 16 to April 8 during which Albendazole tablet will be provided to children in the age group of 1-19 years so as to prevent them from worm infections.

The said tablets will be given to children through schools and Anganwadi centres.

she said, adding that the state is targeting to provide Albendazole tablet to around 8,07,500 children in the age grouped 1-19 years.

The sensitisation programme presided over by State Mission Director (NHM) Dr N Shyamjai was also attended by director (social welfare) Ng Uttam and in-charge director (family welfare) Dr Dihe Mao as guests of honour.

Comment