Lok Sabha Question No. 2162 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-28
Subject: Deworming Tablets
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: SANKAR PRASAD DATTA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2162 TO BE ANSWERED ON  28 TH JULY, 2017

## DEWORMING TABLETS

## 2162. SHRI SANKAR PRASAD DATTA:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  a  large  number  of  school  children  who  were  administered  deworming  table complained of uneasiness and nausea in various parts of the country and if so, the detail and the sources of pro curing these deworming tablets by the States;
- (b) whether the Government has initiated any preliminary investigations regarding the sup allegedly outdated/spurious deworming tablets and if so, the details and the outcome there
- (c) the furt her action taken/ proposed to be taken by the Government to check such incident the future?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)

- ( a) : As  per  available  information  from  the  States,    a  total  of  26.04  crore  child 34 States/UTs were administered de -worming tablets during National Deworming Day this year and 158 children experienced mild nausea and vomiting. The statewis e details are at annexure.

The deworming tablets are supplied by WHO for some states and some states procur from their budget from DCGI approved sources.

- ( b) & ( c) : Albendazole is a very safe drug, but 1 - 2 percent of the children may develop  mild side effects in the form of nausea and vomiting.   These side effects are particularly c children  having  high  load  of  worm  infestation.  The  side  effects  are  generally  self  l Government  of  India  has  not  received  any  report  on  use  of  alleged ly  outdated/spurious de- worming tablets. However, the States have a regular system of checking samples of dr including albendazole tablets after procurement, as a routine quality control measure.

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## Annexure

| S.No.   | Name of State/UT     | No. of Adverse events   |
|---------|----------------------|-------------------------|
| 1.      | A&N                  | Nil                     |
| 2.      | Andhra Pradesh       | Nil                     |
| 3.      | Arunachal Pradesh    | Nil                     |
| 4.      | Assam                | Nil                     |
| 5.      | Bihar                | 11                      |
| 6.      | Chandigarh           | Nil                     |
| 7.      | Chattisgarh          | 23                      |
| 8.      | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | Nil                     |
| 9.      | Daman & Diu          | Nil                     |
| 10.     | Delhi                | 7                       |
| 11.     | Goa                  | Nil                     |
| 12.     | Gujarat              | Nil                     |
| 13.     | Haryana              | Nil                     |
| 14.     | Himachal Pradesh     | Nil                     |
| 15.     | Jammu Kashmir        | Not Applicable          |
| 16.     | Jharkhand            | Nil                     |
| 17.     | Karnataka            | Nil                     |
| 18.     | Kerala               | 43                      |
| 19.     | Lakshadweep          | Nil                     |
| 20.     | Madhya Pradesh       | 1                       |
| 21.     | Maharashtra          | Nil                     |
| 22.     | Manipur              | 3                       |
| 23.     | Meghalaya            | Nil                     |
| 24.     | Mizoram              | Nil                     |
| 25.     | Nagaland             | Nil                     |
| 26.     | Odisha               | Nil                     |
| 27.     | Puducherry           | Nil                     |
| 28.     | Punjab               | Nil                     |
| 29.     | Rajasthan            | Nil                     |
| 30.     | Sikkim               | 33                      |
| 31.     | Tamil Nadu           | Nil                     |
| 32.     | Telangana            | Nil                     |
| 33.     | Tripura              | 1                       |
| 34.     | Uttar Pradesh        | Nil                     |
| 35.     | Uttarakhand          | 36                      |
| 36.     | West Bengal          | Not Applicable          |
|         | Total                | 158                     |