Under the nationwide programme, children of 1-2 years of age were given half a tablet of albendazole while those above the age of 2 were given one full tablet to chew at schools and localities. While teaching and non-teaching staff provided the tablet at their respective schools, anganwadi workers and helpers reached out to homes to deliver the pills, to immunise the children from infections like anaemia, malnourishment, impaired mental and physical development. According to WHO report, Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) or parasitic worms are among the most common infections worldwide. It lives in human intestines and consumes 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.
As a part of the programme, a district level observance was jointly organised by the Zonal Education Officer, Imphal West Zone-1, Health & Family Welfare Department and Social Welfare Department at Keishamthong (SCEM) Model high school. It was attended by ZEO, Imphal West Zone-1 Gopimohon Maibam, Chief Medical Officer (Imphal West) Dr Kh Kulla Singh and model school headmistress Sobita Devi. Later on, Medical officers and para medical staff of State Health Directorate administered Albendazole tablets to more than 300 children from different schools.
National Deworming Day, 2017 held on the theme ‘Worm free children are healthy children’ was also observed at Anganwadi Centre, Shamusang, Naoremthong in Imphal West. The function was jointly organised by Directorate of Health Services Manipur, Department of Social Welfare and Department of Education (s), under the aegis of Ministry of health and family welfare. As a part of the observance, children were administered Albendazole 400 mg tablet to control worm infections. Speaking as the chief guest of the function, Social Welfare Department principal secretary JC Ramthanga informed that a series of meetings were held to make the National Deworming Day successful and create mass awareness. He pointed out that it is also important for different departments and other stakeholders to come together to make such programme a success and hoped that the cooperation is carried forward in the days to come.
In his presidential speech, Health Services and Mission Director (NHM), Director in-charge Dr H Ranjit Singh said that apart from administering deworming tablets to children it is important for parents to teach the young children to maintain hygiene to remain healthy. As the guest of honour, Commissioner Education (S), IAS, M Lakshmikumar Singh stated that a child’s health reflects the health of the society and the nation. He observed that without awareness and sensitization, the departments involved cannot achieve 100 percent success in the programme. Social Welfare, Government of Manipur, Director, IAS, L Nabakishwar Singh, who was also present on the occasion as guest of honour, stressed on early prevention of diseases and said that when a child gets sick it affects the parents as well as the education of the child. Those children who missed the deworming programme on Friday will be given tablets on February 16, he added.
Family Welfare Services Director, Dr K Rajo Singh, another guest of honour, said children are the future of the nation and as such it is important to periodically conduct deworming for children between 1-19 years. In Manipur, around 12 lakh children and teenagers are being targeted to cover under the programme this year. 4,000 schools and 11,500 anganwadi centres have been identified for the purpose. National Deworming Day was launched in Manipur in 2016 and the programme was conducted in two phases in February and August. Last year, Manipur achieved 90 percent of the target. The observance was also attended by officials of State Health Society, Social Welfare Department, Education (S) Department, ASHAs, anganwadi workers, children and parents.
Meanwhile, District Health Society Imphal East joined the National Deworming Day by organising a function at Lamlong Higher Secondary School. The programme was attended by CMO Imphal East Dr Kh Indra, District Family Welfare Officer Dr T Nilakanta and ZEO Zone II H Jatra Singh as presidium members. National Deworming Day was also observed at Kangla Sangomshang in Imphal East district by five Anganwadi Centres of the locality. Around 200 children of the area were administered Albendazole tablets.
Source: The People’s Chronicle
