Albendazole safe for children aged 1–19; no need for fear: District Health and Family Welfare Officer

District Health and Family Welfare Officer Sharanabasappa Kyatanal on Tuesday said that Albendazole tablets can be safely administered to children aged between 1 and 19 years without any fear, as part of efforts to prevent malnutrition, anaemia, and intestinal worm infestation.

He was speaking after inaugurating National Deworming Day on the Jeevan Prakash School campus, under the Urban Family Welfare Centre limits in Kalaburagi. The programme was organised jointly by the district administration, the Zilla Panchayat, the District Health and Family Welfare Department, and the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) wing.

Dr. Kyatanal said misconceptions about Albendazole had led to unnecessary hesitation among parents. “The medicine is completely safe and does not cause any harm to children. Parents should ensure that their children consume the tablet without fear,” he said.

Providing details of the campaign, District RCH Officer Siddu Patil said that as many as 9,98,205 children and adolescents in the age group of 1–19 years would be covered in the district. Children aged 2–5 years will be given a 400 mg tablet, those aged 6–14 years will receive two tablets, and adolescents above 15 years will be administered three tablets, as per prescribed norms.

Dr. Patil said Albendazole tablets would be distributed not only through anganwadis, schools and colleges, but also to out-of-school children, ensuring complete coverage. As part of the programme, students were administered a pledge and awareness posters were released.

School headmaster Amareshwar Sheeli, Deputy Director of Pre-University Education Suresh Akkanna, District Surveillance Officer Rakesh Kamble, Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the Cholera Control Unit Vivekanand Reddy, District Tuberculosis Control Officer Chandrakant Naribol, District Oral Health Programme Officer Sandhya Kanekar, Taluk Health Officer Maruti Kamble, and Administrative Medical Officer of the UFWC Baburao Chavan, along with medical staff, teachers and students, were present.