Deworming drive to cover over 481,000 children in Islamabad.

ISLAMABAD -- While the World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies Pakistan as a high burden country for soil transmitted helminths (STH), a deworming campaign has been started in educational institutions of the federal capital.

STH refers tointestinal worms transmitted through contaminated soil that infects humans.

Overall, STH has been reported by 20pc and in some areas by 50pc among children in the age group of five and 14 years in the capital. The campaign aims to give deworming tablets to 481,823 children in the said age group.

Minister for Education Rana Tanveer Hussain, after inaugurating the campaign, on Tuesday said it was the responsibility of the state to focus on education and health of new generation so that it would play a role in the development of the country.

In 2018, the first STH survey held in 40 districts across the country showed that an estimated combined school-age (5-15 years old) population of 17 million children were infected with STH and it suggested the need for widespread deworming. The survey, conducted by WHO, Ministry of National Health Services (NHS), Indus Health Network and other organisations, was held in five districts of Punjab, six districts of Sindh, 16 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one district of Balochistan, five districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, four districts of AJK and three agencies of Fata.

The STH infections result from poor sanitation and hygiene conditions and tend to have...