Albendazole tablets help keep worm infections at bay: Collector

Tirupati / Chittoor: In a significant move to ensure the health and well-being of children, the National Deworming Day (NDD) was observed on Tuesday, reaching school and college students between the ages of 1 to19 years across the district.

Speaking at an event, District Collector Dr S Venkateswar emphasised the importance of good health along with education for students, urging the successful implementation of this initiative throughout Tirupati and Chittoor districts.

In Tirupati as part of the NDD programme, the District Collector participated as a chief guest at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Municipal High School, where Albendazole tablets were distributed to the students. In Chittoor, the programme was held at Little Flower School in which MP D Prasada Rao and Collector Sumit Kumar participated.

They personally administered 400 mg chewable Albendazole tablets to students after their meals, stressing that deworming helps children maintain both physical and mental health while boosting their immunity.

“Good health is essential for children to excel in their studies and reach their full potential. Worm infections could have severe effects on children’s growth, leading to malnutrition, anemia, loss of appetite, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea and weight loss. Albendazole tablets are crucial in keeping such infections at bay”, observed the speakers.

For children aged 2 to 19 years, a 400 mg tablet is provided, while children aged 1 to 2 years are given a half dose of 200 mg. The Collector stressed the importance of ensuring that these tablets are administered after meals and chewed properly.

Across the district, the programme was implemented in schools, Anganwadi centres and colleges to ensure the free distribution of 400 mg Albendazole tablets. A total of 4,93,608 students were targeted for deworming in Tirupati district as against 3,63,888 students in Chittoor district. The District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr U Sreehari and Additional DM & HO of Chittoor district Dr Venkata Prasad were instructed to oversee the programme’s smooth execution and ensure that all eligible children received the deworming tablets.

For students who missed the deworming tablets on the National Deworming Day, the two Collectors Dr Venkateswar and Sumit Kumar announced that a mop-up round would be held on September 25 to ensure no child was left out.

DEO Dr V Sekhar, Women and Child welfare officer Jayalakshmi, deputy DM&HO Dr Suhda Rani, Chitoor DIO Dr C Hanumantha Rao and others took part.