Students administered Albendazole tablets on Deworming Day
- The objective of the initiative is to reduce anaemia and improve overall health of students
- The importance of personal hygiene was highlighted to prevent parasitic infections
Tirupati / Chittoor: On the occasion of National Deworming Day, a special programme was organised at Padmavathi Puram Government High School in Tirupati which was presided over by District Medical and Health Officer Dr Balakrishna Naik.
He supervised the distribution of Albendazole deworming tablets to students. He stated that 4,91,714students across 6,542 centres in the district would receive the medication as part of this initiative.
The primary objective of the programme is to reduce anaemia among students and improve their overall health. He announced that students who were absent on Monday would receive the deworming tablets on the follow-up Mop-up day scheduled for February 17.
The deworming campaign is being conducted for children aged one to 19 years in coordination with Anganwadi centres, schools and colleges. ASHA workers, ANMs, school teachers and Anganwadi workers are playing a crucial role in ensuring its smooth execution. As part of the event, students were educated on the importance of personal hygiene, hand washing and the prevention of parasitic infections. They were also advised to use toilets instead of open defecation to maintain hygiene and prevent re-infection.
Deputy DEO Balaji, RBSK programme officer Dr Padmavathi, Daminedu medical officer Dr Udayasri, Deputy DM & HO Dr Murali Krishna and Headmistress Haripriya among others participated in the programme.
A similar programme was also conducted in Chittoor, where Legal Services Authority Secretary Bharathi emphasised the need for a worm-free society. The event, held at PCR High School, was inaugurated by Chittoor Mayor Amuda, along with DM & HO Dr D T Sudharani. Speaking on the occasion, Bharathi urged all students from Anganwadi centres to colleges to utilise this opportunity and contribute to building a healthier future. Mayor Amuda stressed the importance of taking Albendazole tablets to combat growth deficiencies caused by parasitic worms and encouraged teachers and medical staff to actively support the initiative.
Dr Sudharani advised students to maintain personal hygiene by washing hands before and after meals, after using the toilet, and after playing in the soil. She also instructed students to chew and swallow the 400 mg tablet after lunch to ensure effective deworming.
Municipal Commissioner Narasimha Prasad, Deputy Mayors Rajesh Kumar Reddy and Chandrasekhar Reddy and others were present.
