The Department of Health-Cordillera targets to deworm 85 percent, or around 521,000, of the region’s more than 610,000 target population for its program this year.

It aims to deworm individuals from 1-19 years old.

This year’s target is way higher than the 106,691 individuals who benefited from last year’s program, which has a target population of around 613,884.

Data from the regional health office showed that last year, 60,780 individuals aged 12 to 59 months received the two doses of the deworming drugs.

For ages 5 to 9 years old, there were 19,284 who received the medicine, while 26,627 kids aged 10 to 19 years old were given the medicine.

Dianne Aurora Delizo, focal person of the DOH-CAR program, in a media interview on Friday, attributed the low achievement last year partly to parents who were adamant about having their kids take medicines, following the fear of vaccines during the pandemic.

She is hopeful that they will be more successful this year through visits to schools.

She said a waiver would be issued to parents to get their consent for their kids to be dewormed.

“Deworming is important to children’s health. Having worms interferes with health and nutrition. It decreases physical, and mental activity and even death in severe cases,” she said.

DOH provides deworming pills albendazole or mebendazole, both of which are available at the DOH and government health facilities.

To prevent having intestinal worms, Delizo said people should ensure to have clean hands and toenails, safe drinking water, and properly cooked as well as clean surroundings

“Observe the WaSH — water, sanitation, and hygiene strategy to avoid parasites from entering the body,” she added. (PNA)