4.6 Children To Deworm In KP On Oct 31: Hyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister For Health Dr Hisahm Inamullah

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Health Dr Hisahm Inamullah Wednesday launched deworming of schoolchildren drive across the province to protect children from soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) and to improve their health

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Oct, 2019 ) :Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Health Dr Hisahm Inamullah Wednesday launched deworming of schoolchildren drive across the province to protect children from soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) and to improve their health.

He said under the drive as many as 4.6 million children would be deworm in 20,000 public and private schools in 19 districts of KP on October 31, 2019.

It was the first ever "deworming initiative in the province. All children enrolled in classes 1-10 and out of school ages 4-14 would be encouraged to access treatment at a nearby school on Deworming Day.

Dr Hisham Inamullah said that "mass deworming through a school-based approach provides an easy way to achieve high coverage, as trusted, trained teachers will administer tables in schools. Children both enrolled and not enrolled in schools are welcome to quality, safe and free of cost medicine through this program." education Adviser KP, Zia Ullah Bangash and women MPAs also graced the event and urged parents and guardians to send their aged 5 to 14 children, to nearest government or private school on October 31, 2019 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 globally 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.

A national prevalence survey conducted to assess the status of intestinal worm infection in school-age children across Pakistan found that approximately 17 million school-age children across Pakistan, including 6.8 million children in KP, are in need of regular deworming.

The school- based deworming program in KP is being coordinated by a multi-sectoral steering committee led by Health Department KP, with representation from Elementary and Secondary Education Department, Local Government Department, Planning and Development Department and Private Schools Regulatory Authority, IRD Pakistan and Evidence Action are providing technical assistance in creating, implementing, and strengthening the deworming program in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Zia Ullah Bangash declared, "We take pride in the fact that this school-based approach to deworm school-age children (5-14 years old) will cover both enrolled and out-of-school children. This approach will ensure that no school-age child is left out of this program."