Imphal: The State Level National Deworming Day 2nd Round 2022 was launched Tuesday at Wangkhei High School, Wangkhei Keithel Ashangbi, Imphal East. The launching programme was organized by the National Health Mission (NHM), Manipur.
Speaking at the function as chief guest, Speaker, Manipur Legislative Assembly, Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, expressed that organizing such a programme in collaboration with the important departments will definitely lead to accomplishment. He added that the deworming programme has been taken up in platforms of schools and anganwadi centres and it is necessary to discuss on the steps of deworming the children who are not covered in these platforms.
Stating that all necessary help will be extended to the steps and policies taken up by the concerned departments to make the deworming programme a success in Manipur, Speaker appealed to all the stakeholders to provide the children a disease free and a healthy future. Speaker also appealed to the officials of the education department to extend support in providing necessary infrastructures to Wangkhei High School which is a model school in the state.
Health & Family Welfare Minister, Sapam Ranjan Singh said that the health department organized many programmes to deliver health care services from grassroot level to the masses. He said follow up of the programme organized by the department are very important to sustain the programme. The Deworming programme organized in convergence of the three major departments i.e., Social Welfare, Education and Health Departments will surely reach the targeted beneficiaries which comes under these three departments.
Stating that the pandemic has provided an opportunity to maintain cleanliness among the masses, the Minister said the most effective way of spreading awareness on maintaining a clean and healthy lifestyle starts from peer groups and relatives. The students should take it as a part of education besides the classroom activities and should try to spread the message for a good cause from the knowledge gained after attending such a programme, he added.
The Minister said that the government has taken up many programmes for the welfare of the people of the state and one such mission is the Deworming Day programme which will help the children to maintain a healthy future. The Minister appealed to the students to take home the message and spread awareness to make a disease free and healthy society.
It may be mentioned that National Deworming Day (NDD) was launched in 2015. It is a flagship program of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and is implemented as a biannual single day programme. This is one of the largest public health programs reaching a large number of children during a short period. The programme is implemented through the platforms of schools and anganwadi centres to improve their overall health, nutritional status, access to education and quality of life.
The Day is observed to raise awareness about the importance of deworming, mainly for children from 1 to 19 years of age. The purpose behind celebrating the day is to reduce the prevalence of Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH), commonly known as the parasitic intestinal worms, among all children and adolescents.
Deworming tablets i.e., Albendazole 400 mg tablets were administered free of cost to control worm infections to the students. Dr. Neha Sareen, Nutrition Scientist from Vitamin Angels, Delhi donated the deworming tablets and vitamins for the Deworming Day.
L. Nandakumar Singh, IAS, Director, Education (S), Manipur; Dr. Kh. Sasheekumar Mangang, Director, Health Services, Manipur; Ng. Uttam Singh, Director, Social Welfare, Manipur; Dr. Somorjit Ningombam, State Mission Director, NHM, Manipur were on the dais as Guest of Honors.
Dr. Sadhana Ningthoujam, SNO, Child Health, NHM; Dr. R.K. Rosy, SNO, NVHCP, IEC; officials of the Health Department, teachers and students of Wangkhei High School attended the state level launching programme.
