DOH-Bicol office in Legazpi City (PNA file photo)
LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Health Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) in Bicol has started its region-wide deworming activity as part of the 2021 National Deworming Month this January to combat and manage the spread of the Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH).
Ma. Francia Genorga, DOH Bicol, Food and Waterborne disease coordinator, in an interview on Friday said at least 2.4 million young people aged 1 to 19 years old are the target beneficiaries for the deworming activity in the region.
“The program aims to prevent and mitigate the ill effects of STH among children, pregnant women, and other target vulnerable groups who can be physically, mentally, and nutritionally impaired by the disease,” she added.
Genorga said they are optimistic that the region’s target will be achieved by the end of 2021.
The National Deworming Month is held annually in the months of January and July.
The DOH conducts a school-based deworming program in coordination with the Department of Education as well as a community-based deworming program in coordination with the local government units. However, due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, the deworming program shall only be administered at the community level as children are not yet allowed to report to school.
The activity is also extended until April of this year to be able to cover all target groups eligible for this program.
Genorga explained that for this year, two approaches will be used for this activity -- the Fixed Post Approach and the Outreach or Home Visit Approach.
The Fixed Post Approach is a facility-based provision of routine deworming services done in health centers, barangay health stations, markets, and churches while the Outreach or Home Visit Approach is a house-to-house provision of routine deworming services.
Administrative Order No. 2010-0023 prescribes Albendazole and Mebendazole as the drug of choice for the prevention and control of STH. This will be administered by health workers in dosages appropriate for the age of the recipients.
STH is one of six Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) affecting more than one billion people globally. It is a type of parasitic infection that can be transmitted from the helminths or worms, which inhabit the intestine of an infected person, and are then passed on with human fecal matter to the soil. A person can catch the disease upon getting in contact with the contaminated soil in areas with poor sanitation.
Based on the DOH Bicol CHD Regional Mass Drug Administration Accomplishment Report of July 2020, a total of 2,259,435 people in the six provinces of the Bicol Region received the deworming drugs.
The DOH-Bicol stressed the importance of observing public health measures such as the proper washing of hands before meals and after comfort room breaks, proper grooming, drinking only clean, potable water, washing and cooking food well before eating, and proper disposal of waste in the fight against STH.
The minimum public health standards as prescribed in the DOH BIDA Solusyon Campaign are strictly observed in carrying out the region-wide deworming activity. (PNA)
