Stating that one out of every four children might have a worm infection, according to a survey, the director of the State Health Mission, Manipur, Dr M Dinesh announced the second round of the National Deworming Day 2024 in Manipur.
It started on September 24 and will continue until October 4 and the mop-up for the second round will be held from October 3 to 20, said the director while announcing the programme during a press meet in Imphal.
The programme aims to deworm children to reduce the prevalence of parasitic intestinal worms.
Stating that Deworming Day has been observed twice a year since 2015, he informed that in the first round of the 2024 programme, the target was 8,79,677 children, while 8,46,675 were reached, representing 96.25 percent.
He informed that the target audience is children aged 1 to 19 years, and the programme is being conducted by the Health and Family Welfare Department in collaboration with the Education and Social Welfare Departments, as many children are school-going and many are under five years old.
State Nodal Officer Dr A Silvia informed that if a child has parasitic intestinal worms, the worms will consume the child’s nutritional intake, besides sucking blood from the intestinal walls, which can lead to anemia in the child.
On behalf of the government, she sought support from parents, teachers, Anganwadi workers, and others to ensure the programme reaches all children.
