In celebration of National Deworming Month, the City Health Office (CHO) called on Dabawenyo parents to have their children dewormed to eliminate intestinal parasites.
Dr. Joy Lariosa-Espina of the City Health Office (CHO), in an interview with the city-owned Davao City Disaster Radio, said many parents still refused to deworm their children due to misconceptions.
She said that in Davao City, only 105,137 of 146,910 children between the ages of 1 and 4 have been dewormed as of October 30, 2024.
“Naa man gu’y uban nga dili gihapon musugot nga kung buot huna-hunaon nato dugay naman gud nato ni nga proyekto sa City Health Office, and then kani nga mga tambala is proven safe, effective, and, most of all, free man gud ni siya (There are still those who refuse to have their children dewormed even if we have been doing this for a long time now. These tablets have been proven safe, effective, and, most of all, free),” she said.
She said studies show that 54 percent of schoolchildren in the Philippines have intestinal parasites which can cause bleeding, swelling, blockage of the intestine, anemia, and diarrhea.
“Kani siya nga mga problemaha [intestinal parasites] pwede siya mu-complicate, pwede ka magkasakit, pwede pod nga dili ma-absorb ang nutrients [sa imong lawas], so magka-malnutrition. So, lastly, pwede pod hinay og pangutok (These problems [intestinal parasites] may lead to complications, illness, and malnutrition because your body is unable to absorb nutrients. It can also slow down your brain’s activity),” she said.
She said deworming is administered to kids between the ages of 1 to 12, but is also needed for members of the vulnerable population, such as farmers, food handlers, and pregnant and lactating women.
She said the CHO distributes deworming tablets to children under 5 years old as part of their “Garantisadong Pambata” program, which is conducted across the city every April and October.
She urged parents not to be afraid about deworming their children as the side effects of the tablets are only mild and temporary.
“Kana man gu’ng nanggawas na ang mga worm sa lain-lain nga part sa lawas tungod na kay daghan na kaayo sila sa sulod sa atong lawas. So mangita gyud na sila’g agi-anan para makagawas. So, mas more ta dapat mag-deworm sa ilaha (Those instances wherein worms come out on other parts of the body, it is because there are so many of them inside. So they will definitely find a way to get out. Thus, we need to deworm),” she said.
“Ang misconception man gud ana, nangapukaw daw ang worms mao na nga nanggawas. So much more dapat na nga tagaan og deworming kay daghan na kaayo na sila sa sulod lawas. Dili nato na kahadlukan, dapat ipagawas man nato kay maka-cause man na sila og sakit (It is a common misperception that the worms emerged because they were awakened. We should not be afraid. Since the parasites can cause diseases, we should get rid of them),” she said.
She said parents who want to deworm their kids may go to their district and/or barangay health centers. CIO