January Deworming Campaign: Dagupan City Health Calls on Parents to Ensure Children's Well-being

 Dagupan City Health Urges Parents: Bring Children for January Deworming Campaign"

The Department of Health's Center for Health Development (CHD) in Ilocos Region is encouraging parents and guardians to take their children and adolescents to the nearest health centers or rural health units for deworming in January. Dr. Rheuel Bobis, a medical officer from DOH-CHD-1, stated in a phone interview on Tuesday that the agency aims to deworm 1.6 million children and teens aged 1 to 19 years this year.

Parasitic worms can lead to various health issues in children, including slow physical and mental development, decreased physical activity, poor academic performance, and, in severe cases, death. The infection can also cause iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women and malnutrition in both mothers and children.

The deworming activity involves both community-based and school-based approaches and occurs annually in January and July. In 2023, approximately 70 percent of the 1 to 4-year-old population and 40 percent of those aged 5 to 19 years received the two-dose medicines.

Bobis acknowledged challenges faced by the program, such as irregular school attendance and a shortage of deworming drugs. As a response, the provision of ancillary drugs for deworming has been devolved to local government units (LGUs), with DOH-CHD-1 providing augmentation. For the current year, the program will continue to support LGUs with deworming medicines and collaborate with the Department of Education to enhance deworming coverage for school-aged children.