Mirpur: Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Sajid Aslam formally inaugurated the district-wide deworming programme aimed at safeguarding the health of school-going children. The ceremony was held at the District Health Office and attended by District Health Officer Dr. Fida Hussain, IRD Regional Manager Saqib Saleem, Additional DHO Dr. Nadeem Ahmed Fazildad, Deworming Focal Person Dr. Fatima Yaqoob, ADHO Dadyal Dr. Shumaila Kiran, Deputy Drug Controller Dr. Zaheer Iqbal, District Education Officer (Boys) Muhammad Ishaq Mughal, and representatives of media and partner organizations.
A seminar was organized on the occasion, in which Assistant Director Muhammad Yasin briefed participants on the programme. Speaking at the seminar, Deputy Commissioner Sajid Aslam emphasized that the deworming campaign is crucial for protecting children’s health and ensuring a stronger, healthier future generation. He urged parents to ensure their children take the tablets at school and assured full cooperation among the health, education, and administrative departments for the successful implementation of the campaign. He said that the district administration, police, and other departments will continue to take measures to bring improvement in all sectors related to public welfare.
District Health Officer Dr. Fida Hussain Raja explained that intestinal worms lead to anemia, nutritional deficiency, stunted growth, and weak academic performance among children. He said that during this round, 115,263 children aged 5 to 14 enrolled in more than 850 educational institutions will be given deworming tablets. He stressed that the tablets are safe and have no side effects, advising parents to send their children to school after breakfast as the medication cannot be administered on an empty stomach. He also highlighted the importance of hygiene, noting that children must wash their hands before taking the tablets.
District Education Officer Muhammad Ishaq Mughal underscored the educational importance of the campaign, stating that only healthy children can learn effectively and perform well. He reaffirmed full cooperation from the education department to ensure proper implementation across schools.
Representing Interactive Research & Development (IRD), Muhammad Yasin said that four previous rounds have already benefited 327,779 children across Azad Kashmir, with Mirpur achieving approximately 92 percent coverage. He praised the leadership and coordination of Deputy Commissioner Sajid Aslam and DHO Dr. Fida Hussain, saying that the synergy between the health and education departments is key to the campaign’s success.