Delhi government formally launched the Mass Deworming programme phase -2 for school age and pre- school children in Delhi. It will cover 3.6 million children in anganwadis, Delhi government and Delhi Govt aided and municipal and cantonment schools.
The deworming programme of the Delhi government was launched last year under the landmark Chacha Nehru Sehat Yojana (CNSY) aimed at providing free and comprehensive health services to all school age children in the capital. The first round of mass school based deworming in Delhi was carried out in February 2012 and 27 lac students were given deworming medicines.
Launching the move, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Walia informed that deworming tablets/syrups will be given to school age children in government, municipal and cantonment schools and adolescent girls not going to schools and pre - school children in anganwadis. There will also be a mop up day for those who missed the medicine on the first day. For young children between 2-7 years of age, 15 lakh drugs in syrup form have been procured by the Delhi Government while for children above 7 years chewable and flavoured deworming tablets are being provided.
Health Minister said that soil-transmitted worms are the commonest infestations in pre-school and school-age children from poor communities. These infestations lead to anemia, malnutrition, retarded physical and mental development, reduced educational achievement, and reduced productivity as adults. Regular deworming is the most effective way of immediately reducing worm burden and relieving children of the disease. The long term approach must be to invest in health education and sanitation.
Worms damage the health of children, limit their access to education and thwart their overall development. Deworming is by far the best way to immediately improve the quality of life of children in Delhi. A prevalence survey carried out by the Delhi government in collaboration with DtWI has shown that the worm burden of school going children was 16 per cent with a maximum of 83.3 per cent in one slums.
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