14 states report reduction in parasitic intestinal worm infection: Health ministry

Fourteen states have reported a reduction in parasitic intestinal worm infection which has a detrimental effect on children's physical growth and well being and can cause anaemia and under-nutrition, the Health Ministry has said.

The ministry said regular deworming as advised by the World Health Organization eliminates worm infestation among children and adolescents living in areas with high Soil-Transmitted Helminthiases burden, thereby contributing to achieving better nutrition and health. In a statement, the Health Ministry said 14 states have shown a reduction in its survey compared to the baseline prevalence survey and Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar have shown a substantial reduction in worm prevalence.

As schools and Anganwadis remain closed, frontline health workers are trained to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines while administering albendazole tablets to children and adolescents (1-19 years) during home visits or through staggered Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Day (VHSND) based model between August and October 2020, it said.