The National Deworming Month campaign of the Department of Health aims to eliminate intestinal parasitism among children. Observed annually in a synchronized schedule of mass drug administration for Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH), it has two components — the National School-Deworming Month (NSDM) on January and the Community-Based Deworming Month (CBDM) on July. This campaign is conducted because the potential effects that STH has on children, including malnutrition, weakness, anemia, and impaired physical and cognitive development, are detrimental. DOH works in partnership with the Department of Education, schools, and Local Government Units to make the program possible.
This January 2020, the seven Ateneo de Zamboanga University – School of Medicine first year students assigned in Barangay San Isidro, Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur were invited by the two elementary schools located in the barangay, namely the San Isidro Central and SPED School and the Roman Tagdulang Elementary School, in the said activity in their respective schools. The two schools conducted their activities on separate dates, however, the highlights of the campaign were the same. The students, with their water tumblers in hand, were asked to fall in line according to their grade level, then Mebendazole tablets were handed to each child. The activities for the NDSM encompasses not only the deworming but as well as maintaining proper hygiene through their campaign on proper handwashing called the Washing In School (WInS) and on the proper way of brushing teeth. The medical students conducted health teachings on mental health and adolescent reproductive health for the children and lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus for the staff and parents that were present. The number of successfully dewormed students for San Isidro Central and SPED School is 322 out of 338 (95%), while for Roman Tagdulang Elementary School, it is 72 out of 88 (82%) students.
ISANG ISIDRO 