AGARTALA, Feb 8 (TIWN): As a part of the observation of National De-worming Day of 2016, a media workshop has been organized on Monday at Agartala Press Club.

It has been mentioned that the initiative has been taken by National Health Mission and Department of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the Agartala Press Club.

The programme was inaugurated by the director of Family Welfare and Preventive Medicine Dr. KL Bhowmik in the presence of Additional Director of Family Welfare and Preventive Medicine N. Darlong, Joint Director of Family Welfare and Preventive Medicine Dr. Pranab Chaterjee, Assistant Director Dr. Sanjit Deb and others.

It is to be mentioned here that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India has scheduled to implement the National De-worming day in all the schools and anganwadi all across the India on February 10.

According to the reports, to combat parasitic worm infections among anganwadi and school-age children, albendezole 400mg chewable tablets will be administered to children at Government, Government-aided and private schools and anganwadis.

The National Deworming Day will be followed by a mop-up day on February 15, 2016 to aminister the deworming tablet to children who were absent from the school or anganwadi on February 10.

National Deworming Day is a groundbreaking initiative focused on reducing the threat of parasitic worm infections, a widespread health issue affecting over 241 million children in India alone.

India has the highest burden of soil-transmitted helminths or parasitic worms in the world. Parasitic worms in children interfere with nutrient uptake, and can contribute to anemia, malnourishment, and impaired mental and physical development.

It is to be mentioned here that according to the 2012 report 'Children in India', published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Govt. of India, 48% of children under the age of 5 years are stunted and 19.8% are wasted, indicating that half of the country's children are malnourished.