Odisha To Deworm 1.3 Crore People Tomorrow

Bhubaneswar: The bi-annual campaign to deworm children and adolescents, between one and 19 years, will begin in Odisha on Thursday.

The drive by health and family welfare department in collaboration with Unicef has set a  target to reach out to 1.3 crore people in all 30 districts of the state.

While children between one and three years will be administered Albendazole suspension, those from three to five years will be given Albendazole tablet at anganwadi centres. The children between six and 19 years will also be administered Albendazole tablet at government, government-aided and private schools. Besides, those who are out of the school, will also be giventhe tablet at anganwadi centres.

The drive is part of National Deworming Day on August 8.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, Director, Health Services, Saroj Kumar Nayak said any child, who is not dewormed during the drive due to sickness or absenteeism, will be administered the tablet on August 16.

He further said that the state government will implement the bi-annual Vitamin A supplementation campaign this month. “Under this programme, all children from nine months to five years will be administered age-specific Vitamin A dose,” he added.

Director, Public Health, Ajit Mohanty, said the department has decided to combine the deworming drive with Lymphatic Filariasis – Mass Drug Administration campaign in five vulnerable districts of Balasore, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Khurda and Nuapada through door-to-door visits. “This will cover two-year-olds and above,” he said.

The Director, State Institute of Health & Family Welfare, Barish Kumar Das stressed the importance of mass awareness about the campaign. “To generate public awareness information and communication materials, including radio jingles, wall paintings, TV spots, posters, and social media infographics, have been specially developed in Odia with support from UNICEF. This includes radio jingles, wall paintings, TV spots, posters, and social media infographics,” he said.

To mobilise children in private schools, a special package of information material has been developed, he added.