National Deworming Day will be observed in the state on August 10, with a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) program planned in seven districts.

The districts of Durg, Balod, Bemetara, Janjgir-Champa, Sakti, Mungeli, and Mahasamund will carry out the program from August 10 to August 17, focusing on filaria control. Renu G. Pillay, Additional Chief Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, chaired a meeting of the State Level Steering Committee at Mantralaya on July 5, providing essential guidelines for both campaigns. Officials from the Health Department and other departments were urged to attain a 100 per cent target for the initiatives.

On August 10, as part of National Deworming Day, all children and teenagers aged one to 19 in the state will be administered the deworming medication. Those who missed the medication on August 10 will have another opportunity on the mop-up day scheduled for August 17.

Deworming medicine will be administered at various locations, including Anganwadis, government schools, healthcare centres, aided private schools, and technical education institutions.

Children aged one to two years will be given half a tablet of Albendazole, while those above two years should receive a combination of D.E.C. and Albendazole. The initiative aims to combat a variety of parasitic worm infections among the young population.

The Health Department aims to promote good health, nutrition, and education among children and adolescents through deworming. As part of the Filaria Control Program, the department has set a target to administer mass drug administration (MDA) to over 67 lakh individuals in seven districts from August 10 to August 17.

With the exception of pregnant women and severely ill individuals, all individuals above the age of one in these districts will be administered the deworming medication.

During the meeting, the strategies and execution plans for both campaigns were discussed. Director of the National Health Mission, Bhoskar Vilas Sandipan, Deputy Directors of the Health Department, Dr. V.R. Bhagat and Dr. Mahendra Singh, officials from various departments, including Health, School Education, Panchayat and Rural Development, Women and Child Development, as well as representatives from NGOs like Evidence Action, were present.