New Delhi (NVI): On the occasion of National Deworming Day (NDD) today, the Health Ministry is administering single dose of a safe medicine Albendazole tablet to children across the country in an effort to make every child worm-free.
The medicine is being administered to children in the age group of 1-19 years.
The objective of National Deworming Day is to deworm all preschool and school-age children between the ages of 1-19 years through the platform of schools and Anganwadi Centers in order to improve their overall health.
This year Health Ministry will also ensures that the worms are no longer a public health problem.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 241 million children in India in the ages of 1-14 years are at a risk of parasitic intestinal worms or also known as Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH).
This means, India accounts for approximately 28 per cent of the total number of children globally estimated to be at-risk of STH infections.
Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) or parasitic worms are among the most common infections worldwide.
It lives in human intestines and consume nutrients meant for the human body.
They produce thousands of eggs each day, which are passed in faeces and spread to others in areas used for public toilet.
Worm infections can cause anemia, malnourishment, impaired mental and physical development and may cause a serious threat to children’s health, education, and productivity.
Intestinal worm infection often makes its way through vegetables which are not properly washed, peeled and cooked, contaminated water and outdoor activities – children who play in soil and then put their hands in their mouths without washing them.
