RECENT literatures from the Department of Health (DOH) explain that the Philippines is a home to worms that cause three of the major types of intestinal parasitism: (1) ascarias or roundworm; (2) trichuriasis (whipworm); and hookworm infections.
The size of these parasites may vary but several cases have been cited and have documented a worm as long as a spaghetti strand.
Collectively, these are called Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), which is a group of parasitic, bacterial and viral infections that affect billions of people in poverty-laden countries. At the pandemic level, the parasitic diseases induced by STH are called Neglected Tropical Diseases.
STH have been found by World Health Organization (WHO) to cause poor physical growth, poor intellectual development and impaired cognitive functions among children especially school-age. Eventually, STH leads to anemia and malnutrition. Data culled from DOH share that the highest intensity of the infection is between children aged 1 to 12 years. Simply put, STH affects significantly the academic performances of the vulnerable pupils.
This claim is supported by WHO that has conducted studies and documented the detrimental effects of parasitic infestation and academic performance of students. Worse, their studies pointed out that the damaging effects are most significant after treatment implying that preventive interventions must be highlighted over curative treatments.
The Philippine Government through the leadership of the Department of health and in partnership with several sectors, promote “Mass deworming” as one of the major strategies to reduce the burden of STH infections especially among children aged 1 to 12 years old.
Since WHO has chosen Albendazole 400mg or Mebendazole 500mg to be the drug of choice for the said deworming, DOH has likewise followed but rather preferred albendazole over mebendazole due to budget constraints.
For instance, the one source claims that although these medicines are available over-the-counter among pharmacies, a single tablet may cost P 10 the least. But with mass procurement of the government, albendazole may be bought as low as P1 each.
As for the dose, DOH recommends albendazole to be given in two separate doses as scheduled by the health professional representing the department. The program likewise taps the Department of Education for and partners with the teachers and parents to accomplish this goal.
Deworming is a public health intervention that targets the mass population at risk. The principle of benefiting the mass rather than the individual prevails in this program. Truer to this notion is that this is a common health program for developing instead of the developed nations hence, the term neglected tropical disease.
Until recently, this deworming program has been extended to address Schistosomiasis as well.
Schistosomiasis, also known as “nsail fever” is a parasitic disease common among farmers and those exposed to mud or floods or near the shores where some of the snails may reside. Caused by the worm ‘schistosoma japonicum’ among other species of schistosoma, this causes diarrhea and enlragement of the spleen and liver.
Data from DOH warn that nationwide at least 6.8 M Filipinos are exposed to snail fever causing it to be endemic to 12 regions and 28 provinces nationwide.
Control of this snail fever is done through a single dose of the medicine, “Praziquantel”, which is also included in the nationwide war against worms by the DOH with the help of DepEd.
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