Why There Is Need For School Children To Be Dewormed?

Aware that parasitic worm infestation is a very common health problem, the Department of Health (DOH) has cited the importance of deworming among school children in the country.

Deworming, sometimes known as worming or drenching, is the giving of an anthelmintic drug — a wormer, dewormer, or drench — to human or animal to rid them of helminths parasites, such as roundworm, flukes and tapeworm.

According to Health Secretary Janette L. Garin, deworming, which is a part of the normal program of the DOH, is conducted in public schools twice a year — January and July.

The program is conducted in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in line with a directive in public health made by President Benigno S. Aquino III.

Secretary Garin said the soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), commonly known as “bulate” which dwells inside the body of children, feeds on the nutrients taken by the body.

“Ang laking bawas nito (bulate) sa nutrition, pag-aaral at sa talino ng mga bata (This reduces the nutritional status of children and affects their school performance and productivity),” she said.

She explained that in order to maximize children/students intelligence and productivity, it is important to deworm them regularly.

She said that regular deworming is needed in order for parents and children to be reminded always and not forget about the need to eliminate the STHs or worms which have the tendency to be passed on to other children through untidy hands, unhygienic practices and poor sanitation facilities.

She said that spreading happens when a child who has worms plays with playmates and schoolmates in the school and then touches other objects which will be then touched by other children and so forth.

As the worms enter the body, the worms will then start feeding on the foods taken by the children and therefore their nutritional intake is reduced as the parasitic worms get the food.

As a result, the child becomes inactive and anemic and his or her interest in studies and other school activities is reduced because the worms feeding inside the body are causing big inconvenience.

Small children get the worms as they begin to explore their environment and learn to walk and play with other children.

As they play, some even do not wear their slippers or play games wherein their bare hands and feet are exposed to soil where the STHs or worms can penetrate the openings in the skin of the children.

Mothers with children who are not yet studying can also bring their children to the health centers for them to be rid of intestinal worms.

As a reporter covering health issues and concerns and as a mother myself, I would like to share that the same scenario happened to one of my two daughter a few years ago which made me agree on the importance of deworming among school children.

In 2008, my eldest daughter, who used to be very active in school (in fact, she was top two in her class), was noticed by her teacher to be lonely and did not want to participate in school activities.

The teacher, concerned on what she had noticed, asked my daughter some questions about what she was feeling.

When I fetched my daughter that afternoon, her teacher told me what she had observed about my child which made me worry very much.

Her teacher advised me to seek immediate consultation with a doctor because my daughter complained that she was feeling chest pain (near her heart) and could not concentrate in the class which was very far from what she used to do.

On the very same day, my husband and I decided to seek medical advice. We went to the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon city and had an electrocardiogram on her heart and waited for the result with anxiety.

My heart, which was pounding faster and aching for thinking and suspecting that my daughter was having a heart disease, was suddenly filled with joy as the doctor said my daughter did not have any heart problem — in short her ECG was normal.

Confused on why my daughter was complaining of chest pain she never felt before, the cardiologist referred me to a trusted pediatrician in the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, also in Quezon City, so that I can understand further what he is suspecting which, he said, was also experienced by other parents like me.

Immediately, we proceeded to the hospital with prayers that everything would be all right for my daughter.

As we narrated to the pediatrician our problem, she told me that my daughter could be suffering inconvenience due to intestinal worms which should be eliminated from her body.

She advised me to deworm her and gave me the instruction how to do it properly and what possible mild and transient side effects that would possibly happen, like feeling of stomach pain, vomiting, etc.

The pediatrician also reminded me to be sure that my daughter’s stomach was not empty or had taken her regular meal before taking the deworming medicine.

She assured me that there was nothing to panic about in case I noticed some strange occurrence because that could be sign that the deworming medicine was taking effect.

The doctor was right, because after my daughter took the deworming medicine and it started to take effect, her chest pain was gone.

After that, my daughter resumed her normal school activities — active, alert, strong, with confidence and very interested to study and do other things such as reciting poems, memorizing verses, singing and dancing.

Since then, I have learned about the importance of “regular deworming” for her. I did the same thing to my second daughter, and so far, the result also has been very good for her — she is active in school and also top one in her class.

I hope this simple experience I have shared can help some parents understand more about the importance of deworming and be convinced that there is nothing to fear about it as long as proper procedures are followed.

This coming Jan. 27, the DOH is set to conduct its second deworming activity in its National School Deworming Day (NSDD) in public schools nationwide, also dubbed as “Oplan Goodbye Bulate.”

The first NSDD was done last July 2015.

Parental consent is needed prior to its conduct so that parents will fully understand the benefits and why it is being conducted, procedures and role of school teachers and healthworkers, possible side effects and how to manage them, to avoid any wrong spread of information.

The World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended Albendazole 400mg and Mebendazole 500mg tablets will be given to the school-aged children who are between 5 and 12 years old.

The said medicines are pre-qualified and inspected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (PNA) SCS/LSJ