Bhubaneswar: Before administering de-worming tablets to children, the state Health and Family Welfare department has tried to allay the fears of many parents, their wards and other stakeholders about the medicine.
While the state is set to observe the National De-worming Day August 8, which happens to be the start of second phase of the campaign this year, the Health department Tuesday stressed that the drug used for de-worming, Albendazole, is extremely safe for use.
“Albendazole is a very safe drug with no associated adverse effect on the health of the children consuming it. It prevents the beneficiaries from contracting several types of worms which lead to anaemia and other nutritional-deficiency diseases,” said Dr Saroj Kumar Nayak, Director, Health & Family Welfare.
Other high ranking officials from the department also believe that the drug is safe and the consumption of it cannot trigger any health problems. “It is never the drug which could create problem in any community. Sometimes wrong method of drug consumption or other existing diseases of the beneficiaries create panic situations in some isolated cases. We recommend the kids to consume it to fight disease,” said Dilip Kumar Sarangi, Director of Public Health.
The officials, however, admitted that slight fever may occur in some kids due to the presence of high level of worms inside the intestine of the kids and the ramifications of their killing after the intake of the de-worming drug.
The officials said that the de-worming exercise will be undertaken on two days — August 8 and August 16. The department has said that drugs for Filariasis and Vitamin A supplements would also be given to the children on these days. According to the department, children and adolescents in the 1-19 age group will be administered the drug.
Under the August round of the National De-worming Day bi-annual campaign, the Odisha Government aims to reach approximately 1.3 crore children and adolescents in the 1-19 age group across all 30 districts, in convergence with major government departments. Nodal teachers, Anganwadi workers and ASHAs are oriented by the government and the de-worming drug will be administered to children at schools and Anganwadi centres.
While children aged between one and three years are given Albendazole suspension, tablets will be given to kids in the 3-5 age groups at AWC by the Anganwadi workers. Children between 6-19 years are given Albendazole tablet at government, government-aided and private schools by the teachers of their respective schools. Children between 6 and 19 years who are out of school are given Albendazole tablet at Anganwadi centres by the Anganwadi workers and DAMaN –health volunteers under malaria control programme.
