DVHS Strengthens the Elimination of Parasitism in Donsol

By: Jiezel Arevalo

The Department of Health (DOH) in partnership with the Department of Education

(DEPED) aim to continuously eliminate intestinal parasitism in children. To strengthen this,
the DOH conducts its twice a year campaign held during the months of January and July with
the help of schools and the local government unit (LGU). The said departments are distributing
anti-helminthic drugs during National Deworming Month (NDM).

To show support for this campaign, a deworming activity was done at DONSOL
VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL (DVHS) on July 10, 2019. The said activity was led by the
school nurse Mrs. Rosana Aviso. She gave the deworming medicine to the students from Grade
7 to 10 and all teaching and non-teaching staff of the said school.

DVHS tries its best to strengthen the deworming campaign by making sure that the
students are aware what parasites can do to their health and school performance. Mrs. Aviso
sees to it that 100% of the students and its personnel take the medicine every NDM. Causes,
effects and ways to prevent this public health problem were explained to the students and
parents to increase campaign coverage.

DEPED Memo No. 80 s. 2015 states that deworming activity shall cover all public
school’s enrolled learners from Kindergarten to Grade 12, SPED, and teaching and non-teaching
personnel in order to increase deworming coverage and achieve better health for all.

Taking the anti-helminthic drugs or the deworming medicine is one way to control Soil
Transmitted Helminth (STH) infection caused by different species of parasite worms. It also
spares the learners from helminthiasis or parasitism to achieve better health and improve school
performance according to DOH Secretary Appointee Francisco Duque III.

DOH data states that STH is a public health problem that has detrimental effects on
student’s growth and development. It can cause anemia, weakness, malnutrition, impaired
cognitive and physical development resulting to poor growth and school performance.

DOH propagated ways to prevent parasitism such as washing of hands before eating,
drinking clean and safe water, using toilets to prevent transmission of its eggs that are passed in
the feces of infected people and proper sanitation.

World Health Organization (WHO) states on March 2019 article about oil-transmitted
helminth infection that control is based on periodical deworming to eliminate infecting worms,
health education to prevent re-infection, and improved sanitation to reduce soil contamination
with infective eggs.

Same with WHO, DOH urges parents not to shun government programs like
deworming and vaccines. “Pakiusap ko lang ‘yong ating mga nanay and tatay na huwag mawalan
ng tiwala sa ating ibang bakuna. Kawawa naman ang mga bata kung madapuan ng mga sakit,”
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III appealed anew.
https://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/resources/who_trs_749/en/

https://www.doh.gov.ph/node/10545