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Hyderabad: Telangana marked National Deworming Day on Monday, July 13, with Health Minister C Damodar Raja Narasimha urging parents across the state to ensure their children receive the recommended Albendazole tablet.

The dose, meant for all children and adolescents between the ages of one and 19, must be administered only under the supervision of trained health staff, Narasimha said, either at their school or at an Anganwadi centre.

In a post on X, the minister said the programme aims to cover 96,81,855 children across Telangana. “A simple tablet can protect children from intestinal worms, improve nutrition, strengthen immunity, and support healthy growth and better learning. Don’t miss it today,” he wrote. Children who are unable to get the tablet on Monday will have another chance at a mop-up round on July 20, he added.

A press release from the state Health Department also said any child not dewormed on National Deworming Day because of absenteeism or illness will be covered any time up to the mop-up day, July 20.

Why deworming is important 

The broader aim of the programme is to reach every child and adolescent in Telangana, improving their overall health, nutritional status, cognitive development and quality of life. Worm infestation, though not always visible to the naked eye, can take a significant toll on a child’s health and well-being, and intestinal worm infections remain a public health concern across India.

Albendazole, officials say, is a safe, evidence-based and globally accepted way of controlling such infections. On National Deworming Day, ASHA workers and Anganwadi helpers will also reach out to children who are not enrolled in school, bringing them to Anganwadi centres to be dewormed.