Karachi Completes First Phase Of Massive Deworming Drive

KARACHI: The first phase of the mass deworming campaign in seven districts of Karachi division has concluded in the city where 2.6 million school-age children (5 - 14-year-old) has been covered five-day long drive.

The dewormed children are fairly equally proportionate across gender, treating about 1.3 million boys and a little over 1.3 million girls. Leading the way for deworming the highest number of children stands District Korangi (0.51 million) followed by West (0.47 million), Kemari (0.40 million), East (0.38 million), Central (0.33 million), South (0.27 million), and Malir (0.25 million). Of a total target population of nearly 4.2 million at-risk SAC, the mass campaign dewormed about 63%, including some of the most vulnerable populations in the city.  

The Government of Sindh, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH), the School Education and Literacy Department (SELD), the Directorate of Registration and Private Schools (DIRPIS), and the Karachi Commissioner's Office conducted its first mass deworming campaign from 1st to 5th November in all seven districts of Karachi under the umbrella of the Pakistan Deworming Initiative (PDI). They procured both technical and financial support from IRD Pakistan and Evidence Action.  

The 5-day long campaign mobilized over 10,000 health workers who visited schools, madaris and households, deworming more than 2.6 million at-risk school-age children in the metropolis.

A robust awareness campaign including banners, television commercials, radio messages and Public Service Messages (PSMs) was widely circulated before the campaign. The campaign kicked off from 1st November when health worker teams organized themselves under the supervision of local health authorities like the District Health Offices (DHOs), the District Education Officers (DEOs) and the District Commissioner Offices in Korangi, Malir, East, West, Kemari, South, and Central districts.

Control rooms were established in all seven districts health offices in Karachi, where at least one doctor was held on standby as the Adverse Events Focal Person to address adverse events in the campaign. In addition, all the medical superintendents of the significant government hospitals were also directed to activate their pediatric units for addressing severe adverse events.  

Furthermore, ambulances of Aman Foundation, Edhi and Chippa were also alerted and prepared to facilitate severe adverse events. The health and education authorities consistently monitored the entire campaign.