A CORRESPONDENT
LAKHIMPUR: As part of the National Worm Prevention Day agenda in connection with the National Deworming Day on February 10, children from 1 to 19 years of age will be administered medicine for worm infestation in Lakhimpur district from Sunday. The programme will continue until February 28 covering a two-week long period.
This was stated by Joint Director-in-charge of Lakhimpur district, Dr. Jagadish Goswami in a press meet convened by the District Health Department at North Lakhimpur Press Club on Saturday. Addressing the media persons, Dr Goswami said that the objective of the programme was to deworm all pre-school and school-age children between the ages of 1 to 19 years through the platform of school and Anganwadi centres in order to improve their overall health, nutritional status, access to educational and quality of life.
"The deworming agenda is launched in order to fight against the infection of three main types of soil-transmitted helminths (intestinal parasitic worms) like roundworm (ascaris lumbricoides), whipworm (trichuris trichiura) and hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancyclostoma duodenale) which are transmitted through soil contaminated with faecal matter. In order to conduct the programme smoothly and successfully, the District Health Department has already completed the due arrangements and preparations. The Education Department, Social Welfare Department and Public Health and Engineering Department will also extend their co-operation while conducting the programme. The ASHA and Anganwadi workers will administer the deworming medicine to a total of 3,62,659 children and students of the district by visiting door-to-door during the stipulated period," Dr. Goswami added.
He further asserted that the deworming medicine would be administered to the children at the Anganwadi centers of the district on February 18, February 19, February 25 and February 26. ADC (Health) Sampriti Goswami will inaugurate the programme for the district on Sunday at the PWD Colony Model Anganwadi Centre. Through the press meet, wherein Subdivisional Medical and Health Officer (SDM&HO) Dr. Dhiren Saikia, District Community Mobilizer of NHM, Manjul Ali Hazarika were also present, Dr. Goswami appealed to the parents and guardians to extend their co-operation to get the deworming medicine administered to their children during the period for their secured health.