Navi Mumbai: NMMC to give deworming pills to 1.49 lakh children in one week

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is holding a special week-long drive from April 25 as part of the National Deworming Campaign. Children the age group of 1 to 19 years will be given deworming pills as per the age group.

NMMC has set a target to cover a total of 1,49,237 children in this campaign.

According to the civic health department, boys and girls who do not go to school will be given pills by health workers and volunteers by visiting their homes.

Intestinal worms, found in children between the ages of 1 and 19, are caused by soil-borne worms. The main reason for this is the lack of cleanliness in the premises. And it causes anemia and malnutrition, stunted physical and intellectual growth of children.

Apart from taking deworming pills to prevent the spread of worms, it is equally important to wash hands, stop defecation, wash vegetables and fruits before using, regular cutting and cleaning nails and use shoes or slippers while going out.

This campaign will be implemented through civic health centres. Children between the ages of one and two years will be given half a tablet (200 mg) dissolved in water. For boys and girls in the age group of two to three years, one complete tablet (400 mg) will be dissolved in water. Boys and girls between the ages of three and nineteen will be given one full pill (400 mg) with clean water to take the medicine.

There are no side effects of the pill. NMMC has set a target of 1,49,237 children for this campaign and all the planning has been done for this purpose. The health workers have been given special and banners have been put up to create awareness about the campaign.