Every month of January and July, the National Deworming Month is observed to combat parasitic intestinal worm infection among children. This twice-a-year campaign urges the public especially the parents to have their children dewormed.
Parasitic intestinal worm infection is one of the public health problems among poor and developing countries that is often neglected. In fact, children are more susceptible to worm infection than most adults. This is because children love to play outdoors on fields and playgrounds with contaminated soil. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the most common type of parasitic infection is the soil-transmitted helminth infection which includes worms, roundworms, whipworms and hookworms.
A child infected with intestinal worms may experience diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of appetite and weight loss that can affect his or her nutritional status, and will most likely lead to malnutrition. Intestinal worm infection can also contribute to vitamin A deficiency and anemia since it interferes with the absorption of food in the body. The nutritional impairment caused by the infection is seen to greatly affect the physical and cognitive growth and development of a child. This poses a serious threat to a child’s health, education, performance and productivity.
Some pre-disposing factors of this disease are poor sanitation and hygiene, poverty, ignorance and lack of public amenities. Hence, deworming medicines are locally available in all health centers which are given for free. There are many benefits of deworming: it helps improves immunity of a child thus protecting him/her from parasitic infection, it also helps improve nutritional uptake and controls anemia, thus reducing the risk of a child to malnutrition. Moreover, it reduces worm infection in the community.
But, as many says, prevention is still better than cure. Here are some simple ways in preventing worm infection among children:
- Handwashing before and after eating
- Handwashing after using the bathroom
- Wearing of slippers/shoes
- Proper disposal of human and animal waste
- Improving over-all sanitation and hygiene
- Use of clean potable water
Deworming the children in the community twice a year should be prioritized and be realized of its great importance in contributing to the goals of the government in addressing all public health problems and eradicating all forms of malnutrition in the country. (PNFP Lizelle L. Bete)
References:
World Health Organization. (2019, September 12). Deworming in children. Https://Www.Who.Int/Elena/Titles/Deworming/En/. https://www.who.int/elena/titles/deworming/en/
World Health Organization. (2012, March). Deworming to combat the health and nutritional impact of soil-transmitted helminths. Https://Www.Who.Int/Elena/Titles/Bbc/Deworming/En/. https://www.who.int/elena/titles/bbc/deworming/en/
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (2015, January 7). Linking Nutrition and Deworming Interventions for Improved Child Growth and Development. Https://Reliefweb.Int/Report/World/Linking-Nutrition-and-Deworming-Interventions-Improved-Child-Growth-and-Development. https://reliefweb.int/report/world/linking-nutrition-and-deworming-interventions-improved-child-growth-and-development
Z.M.B. (2017, February 17). Reasons why it is important to deworm your child. Https://Zeenews.India.Com/Health/Reasons-Why-It-Is-Important-to-Deworm-Your-Child-1975144. https://zeenews.india.com/health/reasons-why-it-is-important-to-deworm-your-child-1975144
