NSDD
round 2 draws more awareness and support
By Alma L. Tingcang
IPIL, Zamboanga
Sibugay, Jan. 28 (PIA) – The massive one-day deworming activity of the
Department of Health, in collaboration with the Department of Education and
Department of Interior and Local Government was successfully held yesterday,
January 27, in all public elementary schools nationwide.
The first round of the
National School Deworming Day for school year 2015-2016 was conducted on July
29, 2015. Despite the negative issues and text scare that went around,
Zamboanga Sibugay fared well in its accomplishment.
Ms. Marilou B. Chio, principal of Ipil
Central Elementary School (ICES) said considering the learnings that we had
during the first implementation of NSDD, more efforts have been made with the
support of all stakeholders such as the local government, health workers,
parents, teachers, and media, for the proper advocacy on deworming including
its common side effects.
Prior to the drug administration, parents
had to sign a consent form allowing their children to take the drugs. However,
children with fever, experiencing abdominal pain, dizziness, diarrhea, or
previously suffered hypersensitivity to the drug should not be given deworming
pills.
Parents and teachers prepared “arroz caldo”
and “champorado” before recess so that the children can fill their hungry tummy
before intake of the deworming pill Albendazole, which should be taken on a
full stomach. ICES has an enrolment of 2,000 pupils.
Accordingly, the NSDD aims to increase the
number of dewormed school children to ensure that more children will be spared
from helminthiasis or parasitism for better health and school performance.
Meanwhile, at Ipil Special Education (SPED)
Center under Mr. Ariel M. Eraldo which
has a population of 400 pupils, parents came early with their kids to make sure
that they eat before taking Albendazole.
“For the lower grades, teachers had to
pulverize the pills to facilitate easy intake of the children,” Eraldo said.
A study of the World Health Organization
states that in low income countries, worm infection can make school-age
children lose 3.75 IQ points. They also cause poor physical growth, poor
intellectual development and impaired cognitive function in children resulting
to anemia and malnutrition.
