Millions of pupils covered by nat’l deworming drive

Millions of school-aged children enrolled in public elementary schools nationwide were dewormed on Wednesday during the National School Deworming Day (NSDD) led by the Department of Education (DepEd).

In partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) and Health Nutrition Center (NHC), Education Secretary Armin Luistro said that the NSDD was conducted “to deworm approximately 16 million school-aged children in all public elementary schools in one day.”

The activity also aims to “reduce the burden of Soil Transmitted Helminthia- sis (STH) infections with a positive impact on children’s education and health.”

To support the said activity, Luistro earlier issued DepEd Memo No. 80 series of 2015 which contained guidelines on the implementation of the NSDD.

All regional directors, schools division superintendents and school heads were encouraged to ensure the successful implementation of the said activity.

Studies show that STH or intestinal worms “can cause poor physical growth, poor intellectual development, and impaired cognitive functions in children.”

It was also revealed that schoolaged children or those from five to 12 years old harbor the greatest load of infection.

STH affected all 81 provinces in the country.

Luistro said that the NSDD aims to increase and scale-up the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) coverage from school-aged children – particularly those enrolled in Kinder to Grade IV – currently enrolled in public elementary schools.

“It also aims to facilitate and ensure timely reporting of deworming intervention and to promote partnership in all levels in the implementation of deworming for school-aged children in public schools,” he added.