Initiative to deworm school-age children in KP launched

PESHAWAR: Health Minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan has inaugurated the “Deworming Initiative of School-Age Children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

The programme would deworm more than 4.6 million children in 19 districts of KP through over 20,000 government and private schools on October 31, 2019.

All children enrolled in classes 1 to 10 and out-of-school aged 5 to 14 would be encouraged to access treatment at a nearby school on ‘Deworming Day,’ said a handout.

Dr Hisham said: “It is the mandate of Health Department KP to protect the health of all citizens in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Since children are going to be key productive actors for KP in the future, we open-heartedly welcomed school-based deworming programme, which will not only improve the health of our children but will also increase their effectiveness and performance in school, thus benefitting society as a whole.” Education Advisor KP Ziaullah Bangash and Chairperson Standing Committee on Health Dr Sumera Shams also attended the event. They urged parents and guardians to send their 5 to 14 years old children to the nearest government or private school on October 31 during school timings for free and safe deworming medicine.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 1.5 billion people, or nearly 1 in 4 of the world’s population, are infected with intestinal worms, also known as soil-transmitted helminths, with over 835 million children in need of treatment. These infections result from poor sanitation and hygiene conditions, and tend to have the highest prevalence in children of school-going age. Dr Sumera Shams stated: “The consequences of chronic worm infections in children are both widespread and debilitating and pose a serious threat to children’s health, education, and productivity.”