Jaipur: more than 2.5 crore children to be medicated on National Deworming Day

As a part of its massive medicine campaign on the National Deworming Day-February 10, the Rajasthan state government is planning to give albendazole tablets and syrups to more than 2.5 crore children.

The 2.5 crore children to be targeted in the group of 1-19 years is more than last year’s achievement of 1.6 crore children. In addition to children in govt schools, even private schools have been included under this year’s scheme of things.

Under the medication ambit will be 69,269 government schools, 34,056 private schools, 2,359 madrasas and 60,163 anganwadi centres. Also included will be the Kendriya Vidhyalaya and Navodaya Vidhyalaya.

As reported by TOI, "This year, we will provide the medicines in private schools and madarasa too. We are targeting to provide the medicines to 2.5 crore children in the state," Dr Prem Singh, state nodal officer Adolescent health said.

He said that it is for the first time, children of private schools have also been included in the deworming campaign. "We have already sent medicines to private and government schools," Dr Singh said.

This is being done as worm infestation affects children health badly. Worms may cause poor cognitive development and also affect work productivity. It is also responsible for malnutrition among children and it lowers resistance to infection.