Specialist emphasizes on personal hygiene to prevent parasitic worm infection
ISLAMABAD, Jan 30 (APP): Specialists Thursday stressed the need for giving full information to masses about Deworming and urged parents to support a national level school-based deworming programme for their kids’ improved physical growth, resistance to infections and positive school performance.
Talking to private news channel, Child Specialist Dr Atif emphasized on maintaining personal hygiene and sanitation practices to prevent parasitic worm infection.
Parasitic worm infections can be prevented by adopting hygienic practices like washing hands before and after meal, drinking potable water, and by avoiding walking barefoot and open-air defecation, he said.
He said the deworming campaign is an important step by Present government to tackle a pervasive public health problem that can hinder children’s ability to learn and undermine their future productivity.
He highlighted the symptoms of disease in kids, It causes stomach pain, diarrhoea, weakness and can even lead to iron-deficiency anaemia.
Dirty hands, tools, toys or food are easy instruments of transmission for these parasites who can go from the contaminated soil to the child’s mouth and eventually inside the body and intestine, he added.
The initiative was in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of addressing the health challenges of children, including malnutrition and stunted growth, he added.
Deworming is a quick, easy and safe measure to better the health and future of our children, he said.
Another child Specialist Prof. Dr Abdul Gaffar Billoo explained, as the World Health Organization (WHO) states, ‘soil-transmitted helminth infections are among the most common infections in humans, caused by a group of parasites commonly referred to as worms, including roundworms, whip worms and hookworms.
These intestinal worms can severely affect the child’s nutrition and growth, he added.
A child can regularly go through deworming to get the intestinal worms removed. It is necessary to get these worms removed, else they can multiply and lay eggs in the intestine leading to major damage to the body, he mentioned.
He said chronic worm infections resulted from poor sanitation and hygiene conditions, tended to have highest prevalence in children of school-going age, and had both widespread and debilitating
consequences.
“The worms suck blood, leading to anemia. That’s why children become sleepy and their school performance is affected, he added.”
Dr said this national level deworming drive through a school-based approach would provides an easy way to achieve high coverage, as trusted, trained teachers are administering tables in schools.
Dr Gaffar said if children are suffering from any chronic disease it is better take the tablet under the supervision of a doctor.
He urged parents should come forward to make their children to consume the tablet without any
fear.
Specialist said that deworming will improve health, nutritional and learning outcomes, reducing absenteeism in schools and increases the likelihood of higher-wage jobs later in life.
Deworming with the safe and beneficial tablets is an effective solution to controlling worm infections, Dr Billoo said, adding, deworming may have very few side effects on children like nausea, mild abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue may occur among children, especially those with high worm infections.
