Deworming Day
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IMPHAL, Mar 12 : The Child Health Division of State Health Society, National Health Mission (NHM) and the Directorate of Health Services is all set to launch the 1st Round of National Deworming Day, 2025 tomorrow with a target of administering deworming tablets to 9,91,696 children in the age group of 1-19 years across the sixteen districts of Manipur.
In this connection, a press conference was held today at the conference hall of Medical Directorate, NHM at Lamphelpat jointly organised by the Directorate of Health Services in collaboration with the Education (S) and Social Welfare Department.
Stating that the National Deworming Day was first launched in 2015, Dr Chambo Gonmei, Director, Health Services told media persons that children aged 1–19 years are most likely to be infected by intestinal worms.
Children can become infected with the worms after playing in dirty surroundings or ingesting contaminated food items such as vegetables and fruits.
After entering the body, the worms can lay eggs in the intestinal tract, lungs, stomach etc feeding on nutrients and blood and causing intestinal issues, among other ailments.
To prevent such infections, Dr Chambo Gonmei stressed on the need for children to maintain good hygiene, washing hands before eating food, washing vegetables and drinking clean water.
Children aged 1-2 years will be administered one tablet of Albendazole 200 mg, while those between 2 and 19 years will be given one tablet of Albendazole 400 mg. The tablets should be chewed properly and ingested as swallowing it whole is less effective. For infants who cannot chew the tablets, parents can grind the tablet into powder, add a little water and then serve it to the child on a spoon, said the Director of Health Services. Meanwhile, Dr A Silvia, State Nodal Officer, Child Health Division, NHM shared that in 2024 approximately 8.80 lakh children were dewormed, achieving 93% of the target (9,25,148). Another deworming session will be held on March 20 for children who miss out on taking the deworming medicine tomorrow, she said.
In this connection, a press conference was held today at the conference hall of Medical Directorate, NHM at Lamphelpat jointly organised by the Directorate of Health Services in collaboration with the Education (S) and Social Welfare Department.
Stating that the National Deworming Day was first launched in 2015, Dr Chambo Gonmei, Director, Health Services told media persons that children aged 1–19 years are most likely to be infected by intestinal worms.
Children can become infected with the worms after playing in dirty surroundings or ingesting contaminated food items such as vegetables and fruits.
After entering the body, the worms can lay eggs in the intestinal tract, lungs, stomach etc feeding on nutrients and blood and causing intestinal issues, among other ailments.
To prevent such infections, Dr Chambo Gonmei stressed on the need for children to maintain good hygiene, washing hands before eating food, washing vegetables and drinking clean water.
Children aged 1-2 years will be administered one tablet of Albendazole 200 mg, while those between 2 and 19 years will be given one tablet of Albendazole 400 mg. The tablets should be chewed properly and ingested as swallowing it whole is less effective. For infants who cannot chew the tablets, parents can grind the tablet into powder, add a little water and then serve it to the child on a spoon, said the Director of Health Services. Meanwhile, Dr A Silvia, State Nodal Officer, Child Health Division, NHM shared that in 2024 approximately 8.80 lakh children were dewormed, achieving 93% of the target (9,25,148). Another deworming session will be held on March 20 for children who miss out on taking the deworming medicine tomorrow, she said.