Small tablet, big impact: Telangana kicks off mega deworming drive for nearly 1 crore children

The grounds at the Telangana Social Welfare Residential School and Junior College for Boys in Shaikpet here was buzzing on Monday morning. Beneath a wide tent pitched in the middle of the ground, nearly 700 students sat with their eyes fixed on a small stage at the front which had a banner of National Deworming Day.

On the stage stood 10-year-old Rohit (name changed), chosen to be the first recipient of the Albendazole (400g) tablet. He had earlier been told how to take the medicine. Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha stepped forward, tore a single tablet from a strip of 10 and put the white tablet into Rohit’s mouth. The boy swallowed it with a sip of water. To make the moment a little sweeter, the Minister handed him a chocolate, smiling as the crowd of students watched.

One by one, the next four children who were on stage received their dose from Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Sangeetha Satyanarayana and Hyderabad District Collector Hari Chandana Dasari. Later, all the other students were attended to by a team of doctors and health workers.

Speaking to the students, the Health Minister explained that worm infections often increase after monsoon, particularly when changes in weather affect food quality. “Such infections can lead to diarrhoea, vomiting and anaemia,” he added.

The programme’s objectives are improving nutritional status, cognitive development and overall health, reducing school absenteeism and promoting hygiene and sanitation practices to prevent reinfection.

The State-wide initiative will cover 96.17 lakh children between the ages of 1 and 19 across government and private educational institutions, Anganwadi centres, junior and vocational colleges, polytechnics, ITIs, degree and engineering colleges, as well as childcare and juvenile homes. In total, 35,700 Anganwadi centres and 52,165 schools will participate, with doses tailored for different age groups. A mop-up exercise is scheduled for August 18 to reach children who missed Monday’s drive.

By the end of the day, a total of 85.58 lakh children had received the medicine, with Hyderabad recording the highest coverage at 9.87 lakh, followed by 7.8 lakh in Rangareddy, 7.77 lakh in Medchal Malkajgiri, and 3.86 lakh in Nalgonda. The remaining children will receive the medicine on the mop-up day.

Hyderabad District Collector Hari Chandana Dasari said nearly 11 lakh children in the district will receive the tablets by then and urged parents to ensure annual participation to prevent anaemia and other health problems.