The Health and family welfare department of Andhra Pradesh has initiated the health and personal hygiene programme to eradicate Anemia and malnutrition among 80 lakh students across the state.

Stressing up on to increase awareness about the health and hygiene of children in schools across the state, the health department has ordered all the schools to administer Albendazole (400mg) for de-worming and to maintain personal hygiene.

Marking the occasion of “De-worming and personal hygiene day on March 15, the health department took the programme on priority under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan Rajiv Vidhya mission.

Government Schools, residential hostels and primary health centers have become as the venerable places disease spread due to unhygienic conditions. The main aim of this health and hygiene programme of the state government is to create awareness and to implement mass de-worming among school students, mid-day-meal workers, and health workers across the state.

As there has been many occasions where the children, healthcare workers and others have fallen sick due to unhygienic conditions, the new initiative of the health department is a big step towards minimizing children being infected with anaemia and also to prevent infestation with worms which causes anaemia and malnutrition.

Over 80 lakh children studying in government and government aided schools in the state will be covered under the programme. All students between the age group 5-15 years are administered with Albendazole for de-worming. Under the program, the students suffering scabies and lice infestation will also be treated free of cost.

“Usually the children in the rural areas are unaware of the dangers of unhygienic conditions. They frequently fall sick due to improper hand wash and negligence in nail cutting. The nails and hand will accumulate lot of dust and dirt which are main causes of stomach pain, fever and other related ailments among the students. We must also discourage them the use of common soap which is the major cause of spreading skin diseases among the students in hostels,” said, Praveen Prakash, commissioner, Health and family welfare, Government of Andhra Pradesh.

“As the activity under this programme is absolutely safe, parents need not worry about their children’s health. I request all parents and the community to utilize this opportunity by compulsorily sending their children to school,” said the Commissioner.