Government Schools Battle Stomach Worms

New Delhi : With stomach worms infecting thousands of children in the capital, the Delhi government will initiate a programme in its schools from Tuesday to target the pests.

In the programme that is to cover nearly 40 lakh school children, students will be given chewable tablets to clear out worms from the body.

"Children with worms are more likely to suffer from malnutrition and anaemia resulting in sickness and it will have a impact on child's cognitive growth," Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said.

"The tablets will be given free of cost to all government, municipal and Delhi cantonment schools," she said.

The state-wide campaign was launched under Chacha Nehru Sehat Yojna (CNSY). It is a combined effort of Deworm the World (DtW), a NGO which will provide technical and operational support with Delhi's Health, Education, Social Welfare and Women and Child Development departments.

A recent study covering 3,251 children indicated that 83 percent children from a particular slum had worms in their stomach.