Alarming increase in stomach worms: KP launches deworming campaign in 22 districts 

Peshawar: The Education and Health departments are working together to conduct a campaign to eradicate stomach worms in 22 districts throughout Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has approved this insecticide, renowned health practitioner Dr Abdullah Shah Baghdadi said on Monday.

Children between the ages of five and 14 will be fed deworming medication as part of this campaign. They will begin receiving medication in schools to protect them from illnesses, he said.

Last year in the Mardan district, as many as 352,848 seminary (madrasa) students and roughly 2,140 students in public and private schools received medication.

People in Pakistan are developing stomach worms at an alarming rate, which puts them at risk for a variety of illnesses, the most prevalent of which are anemia and iron deficiency.

Youngsters are frequently affected by the condition known as stomach worms. The weather in Pakistan is conducive to these stomach worms, as are practices like eating raw or undercooked foods, not washing vegetables and fruits well, drinking contaminated water, and consuming substandard food and beverages.

Dr Abdullah Shah informed that stomach worms are a prevalent disease and a common cause is lack of hygiene. It not only affects children but also causes constant suffering for adults. Children may suffer from intestinal obstruction, inflammation of the gallbladder and especially in women, stone disease.

There are numerous additional illnesses that should be avoided every six months in addition to chronic diarrhea brought on by stomach worms. Medicine for stomach deworming should be taken.

Dr Baghdadi noted that some children get into the habit of chewing thread, fabric, or other irregular objects. Even while there could be a lot of other causes, saliva flows from the mouth and grinding your teeth at night may be one of them. Children frequently cry at night, and other symptoms include itching at the stool, an obsession with eating sweets, lack of appetite, and slowness.

The annual widespread deworming campaign of children is crucial for their physical and cognitive development. It will make their body resistant to infection and increase children’s school performance as well.

“The elimination of malnutrition and anemia, for which deworming is the quickest, easiest, and safest way of treatment, are among the top health priorities of the Pakistani government,” he stated.

Parents are advised to take care of their children and prevent them from eating items that cause pain. Health practitioners urged everyone to include their children in this drive to eradicate stomach worms using free and secure medication so that they can have a bright and secure future. APP