Health and Education officials have collaborated together in Prakasam district, India to deworm 570,000 students.
District Medical and Health Officer, K.Sudhakara Babu told a press conference that for the first time, childrenin private schools would be covered under the exercise, whichwill bejointly undertaken by both departments of health and education, with support given from
Rajiv Vidya Mission, an organisation in the district working towards community ownership of the school system.
Including students fromprivate schools, has increased the number ofschoolchildren to be covered,by an addition of237,000.
Dr Sudhakar Babu said, "Students would be able to concentrate better on their studies after deworming as the worms suck the blood and make them anaemic"
"We have kept ready sufficient number of Albendozole table for giving to children", said B. Padmavathi, District Coordinator of the Jawahar Balarogya Raksha.
"It is better to go for deworming once in every six months", she added. "The medicine should be consumed after food to protect children from round worm, hook worm, and pin worm", she said.
"Open defecation is the main source worm infection'', Dr Padmavathi said, adding that mothers should wash their hands with soap before handling food.
Over 600 million school-age children in the worldare infected with parasitic worms. School-age children typically have the highest burden of worm infection of any age group with an estimated 400 million worldwide suffering from soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomiasis.
Chronic worm infections are widespread. They can negatively affect all aspects of a child's development: their health, nutrition, cognitive development, learning and educational access and achievement.
Read the original article from the
Hindu.
