The National Deworming Month is observed bi-annually every January and July which aims to eliminate intestinal parasitism among children and create awareness on its control and prevention.

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are caused by different species of parasitic worms mostly by roundworms (Ascaris lumbricoides), whipworms (Trichuris trichiura) and hookworms (Necator americanus or Ancylostoma duodenale).

These soil-transmitted helminths continue to affect communities with poor access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene, and areas where cases remain untreated and become continuing sources of infection.

With those causes, STH infections remain to be a public health concern despite of the efforts to control them. Infections affect the nutritional status and physical and cognitive development of the vulnerable groups, especially the children. It can cause anemia, malnutrition, weakness and impaired development.

Nutritional deficiency caused by soil-transmitted helminths happens in many ways such as the worms feed on host tissues and blood, which leads to a loss of iron and protein; the worms interfere absorption of nutrients; some worms cause loss of appetite causing reduce nutrient intake and whipworms particularly, cause diarrhea and dysentery that may lead to dehydration.

With the global strategy to control STH through periodic anthelminthic treatment, health education, sanitation, and personal hygiene, National Nutrition Council MIMAROPA supports the National Deworming Month and the Department of Health’s “Oplan Goodbye Bulate” campaign. Let us do our part in preventing worm infestations by washing of hands before eating or preparing foods and after using the toilet, wearing of slippers/shoes, keeping surroundings clean and joining deworming activities. These simple measures will bring good health and nutritional status especially the children who are more susceptible to infection.

Written by: NO II Bianca Estrella

Sources:

Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis and Parasitoses. (no date). Retrieved from: https://doh.gov.ph/Health-Advisory/Soil-Transmitted-Helminthiasis-and-Parasitoses

Soil-transmitted helminth infections. (2 March 2020). Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/soil-transmitted-helminth-infections

Prevention of Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection (2011). Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3125032/

The control of soil-transmitted helminthiases in the Philippines: the story continues. (12 June 2021). Retrieved from: https://idpjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40249-021-00870-z