EG gears up for deworming driveDistrict Collector Prashanthi calls for 100% implementation

East Godavari District Collector P. Prashanthi has directed officials to ensure the effective implementation of the deworming programme as part of efforts to eradicate worm infestations in children.
Releasing a wall poster to raise awareness on Thursday, Collector Prashanthi emphasized that National Deworming Day and the Mop-up Day will be observed on February 10. She stressed that every child in the country should receive deworming treatment through preventive measures and urged society to support the initiative. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, will distribute deworming tablets from February 10 to 17.
Highlighting the programme’s significance as one of the largest public health initiatives, the Collector called for the cooperation of all departments and the public to achieve 100% coverage. She stated that National Deworming Day should be conducted on a large scale on February 10, 2025, targeting children and adolescents aged 1 to 19 years. A mop-up round will follow on February 17, 2025, to ensure all beneficiaries receive the required dose.
District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr. K. Venkateswara Rao instructed officials to ensure that children between 1 and 19 years take the deworming tablets. He noted that the district has 1,556 Anganwadi centers and 1,578 government and private schools, covering 4,30,339 children, including school dropouts. He stressed the need for Albendazole deworming tablets to be administered to all eligible children to meet the target.
Dr. Rao advised that children who are seriously ill or on an empty stomach should not be given the tablets. To ensure smooth execution, mandal-level teams, including the Medical Officer, Mandal Educational Officer, MDO, MRO, and CRP officials, have been formed, with divisional-level monitors overseeing coordination.
The meeting was attended by DLDO Dr. N. Vasundhara, PD ICDS Adhikari K. Vijay Kumari, and District RBSK Programme Officer Dr. Harichandra Prasad, along with other officials.
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