Issued by: Dr. P. Jagadeeswara Rao, District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO), Visakhapatnam

Visakhaptnam -Indian News Times -Today, on 28.09.2026, the 'National Deworming Day' program was jointly inaugurated in Visakhapatnam district by the District Medical and Health Officer and the District Educational Officer at the GVMC Boys' High School and KNM Girls' High School. A total of 456 students across these schools were administered Albendazole tablets.

Albendazole tablets will be distributed to eligible children and adolescents for deworming purposes through schools, Anganwadi centers, and other relevant institutions across the district. For children aged 1 to 2 years, half a tablet is to be dissolved in water and administered. For children aged 2 to 3 years, a full tablet is to be dissolved in water and administered. The District Medical and Health Officer directed that children and adolescents aged 3 to 19 years should be instructed to chew and swallow a full tablet.

It was advised that the tablets be administered after the midday meal under the supervision of health staff, teachers, and Anganwadi personnel.  They urged that the program be conducted successfully by ensuring the deworming tablets are administered to children in the correct, age-appropriate manner—rather than having them swallow the pills on their own—and by strictly following the necessary guidelines.

The District Medical and Health Officer stated that while there are 5,74,496 children in the district, 98.4% have already received the deworming tablets, and the remaining children will be administered the medication on the 'mop-up' day.
Officials directed that no eligible child should miss out on the deworming tablet and emphasized the need for effective coordination among the School Education Department, Medical and Health Department, Women and Child Welfare Department, and other relevant agencies to implement the program successfully. Measures are being taken to provide tablets via a mop-up program to children who could not take them on the designated National Deworming Day (NDD).
The District Medical and Health Officer and the District Educational Officer appealed to parents to ensure their children receive the deworming tablets under the supervision of health staff or teachers, thereby actively participating in safeguarding their children's health.
Dr. Radharani served as the District NDD Monitoring Officer.

The program was conducted under the directives of the District Collector and presided over by District Medical and Health Officer Dr. P. Jagadeeswara Rao, District Educational Officer Prema Kumar, and District RBSK Program Officer B. Harika.  The RBSK DEIC Manager, school principals (Smt. Seshu Kumari and Smt. Shanthi Kumari), MEOs, ANMs, ASHA workers, and others participated in this program.

District Medical and Health Officer
               Visakhapatnam