A massive de-worming drive against the intestinal worm infection in children would be undertaken by the health department on August 8 in all parts of the state.

The drive is part of the national de-worming day which would be organised in all states of the country on the day.

About 42.77 lakh children of the age group 1 – 19 would be administered ‘Albenbazole’ tablet by the medical health and family welfare department on the day.

The department would take the services of Asha workers, teachers, Anganwadi workers, ANMs and National Health Mission workers for the drive.

The left out children who were not de-wormed on National Deworming Day due to absenteeism or sickness will be dewormed on August 16, the mop-up day.

This year the department is claiming to make special efforts to include private schools and children who are out-of-school, so that all children in the state can benefit from deworming treatment.

To prepare for National Deworming Day, the state government has targeted to train 24056 teachers and 19807 Aanganwadi workers to administer the tablet.

The consultant National Health mission, Dr Pankaj Kumar said the children between the ages I – 2 would be given half tablet while children between age 2 to 19 would be administered one tablet.

The helminthic worms are the cause of malnutrition and retarded growth in a large number of children.

In middle Himalayan region the percentage of helminthic infection is found to be as high as 30 percent. The helminths are the parasites that absorb nutrition from the body tissues and induce malnutrition which adversely affect growth of body and apart from physical growth the worm also affects mental growth of the individual.

The medical experts are of the view that de-worming helps in increasing attendance of students’ up to 25 percent in the schools.

They point out that  the helminthic infection occurs by defecating in open, walking barefooted, keeping low personal hygiene and eating infected food. The symptoms of the disease are retarded growth, anaemia, loss of appetite, stomach ache, vomiting and irregular bowels.