Health and Family Welfare Commissioner G. Veerapandian releasing posters for National Deworming Day programme at Mangalagiri on Saturday.
The Andhra Pradesh government will mark National Deworming Day at all Anganwadi centres, schools and colleges in the State on February 10 and a mop-up day on February 17.
The programme, launched in the State in 2016, aims to reduce Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) infections in children aged between 1 and 19. Under the programme, the health staff give the children Albendazole 400 mg chewable tablet once every six months.
Releasing the posters of the programme at A.P. Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) in Mangalagiri on Saturday (February 8), Health and Family Welfare Commissioner G. Veerapandian said the prevalence of STH in the State stands at 34% and asked all Anganwadi centre workers and teachers to ensure the availability of sufficient quantity of drugs, safe drinking water and clean spoons for the programme.
According to sources, the Department has set a target of administering the medicine to 21,92,088 registered children aged between 1 and 5 in Anganwadi centres, 52,204 un-registered children aged between 1 and 5, 86,06,771 children aged between 6 and 19 enrolled in schools and 4,34,141 out-of-school children in the ages of 6 to 19.
The Department has begun a social media campaign regarding the programme on WhatsApp, Facebook, ‘X’, Instagram and radio jingles of 30 seconds and 60 seconds. The district officials have been instructed to publicise the event widely.
Medical officers have been asked to ensure that every child gets the tablet in their jurisdiction. Children who missed the tablets on February 10 will be administered the same on February 17.
Published – February 08, 2025 06:23 pm IST