Guwahati, Aug. 8: The National Health Mission, Assam, will provide Albendazol tablets to around one crore children in the state on National Deworming Day on Thursday.

National Deworming Day is a flagship programme of the Centre aimed at improving the health and well-being of pre-school age and school-age children by reducing soil transmitted helminthes (STH) infections through mass deworming and other preventive measures.

The programme will be conducted by the ministry of health and family welfare in collaboration with the ministry of women and child development, department of school education and literacy, ministry of drinking water and sanitation, social welfare and the ministry of panchayati raj.

"Soil transmitted helminthes is a public health concern for Assam. Around 68 per cent of children of 1-14 years of age are estimated to be at risk of parasitic intestinal worm infestation. According to a study conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the STH prevalence in Assam is 50 per cent and it is considered as high prevalence. Evidence has shown detrimental impact of the STH infestation on physical growth, anaemia, under-nutrition and cognitive development as well as school attendance. Periodic deworming can reduce the transmission of these infections and prevent them," the mission director of the National Health Mission, Assam, J.V.N Subramanyam, said here today.

During deworming day, school teachers, Anganwadi workers and accredited social health activists (ASHA) will distribute the Albendazol tablets in both government and private schools of the state under the mission.

"Training and orientation of the health officials, teachers, frontline health workers have already been completed. Albendozal tablets have already been dispatched to all the health institutions and schools. A different publicity campaign is going on in the state with the help of posters, banners, mikes, street plays, advertisement in newspapers and electronic media," Subramanyam added.

Every year, the NHM observes National Deworming Day in the months of February and August.

For the upcoming deworming day, state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has sent a letter to all the school teachers on the importance of the day.

Deworming day is observed twice a year. On February 10 this year, during the day, 81,97,738 children were covered by the mission.