VIJAYAWADA: The Department of Health Medical and Family Welfare is gearing up to administer Albendazole tablets to children aged between 1 and 19 years across Anganwadi Centres and government as well as private educational institutions to mark the National Deworming Day on February 10.
The aim of the initiative is to reduce Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) in children by administering Albendazole 400 mg chewable tablets two times in a year. Emphasising on the significance of the programme, special chief secretary for Health and Family Welfare MT Krishna Babu said the STH prevalence in Andhra Pradesh stands at 34%. He explained that nodal officers have been appointed for the distribution of the tablets, while Mandal Parishad Development Officers (MPDOs) will oversee the programme’s implementation.
With a targeted reach of 1.32 crore children, the programme will be executed across 55,608 Anganwadi centres, 33,666 government and private schools, and 3,307 junior colleges.
Albendazole tablets have been dispatched to all districts, and MPDOs will make them available for distribution on February 7. An extensive network of mandal-level nodal officers and health workers, including Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), has been mobilised to implement the programme.
Government departments, NGOs, and independent agencies, will oversee the process.
If left untreated, STH can lead to anaemia
Worm infections, if left untreated, can lead to anaemia, impaired physical and mental development and malnourishment in children. Administering deworming tablets is a universally recognised safe and cost-effective solution to STH. An extensive network of health workers has been deployed to implement the programme.