10,000 Day Care children to be dewormed

Rotary Club of Metro Iloilo provides 18,000 deworming tablets
as Rotary prepares for its 100 th Anniversary on February 23, 2005 .

Last January 25, 2005 at 2:00 P.M. , more than 200 day care workers attended a lecture on parasitism sponsored by the Rotary Club of Metro Iloilo at the UPV Little Theater. The daycare workers were oriented on the different types of parasites, the means by which they infect people, their hazardous effects and methods on how to prevent an infestation. Dra . Monica Nafarete and Dr. James Woo were the resource speakers.

The audience composed of Day Care workers and Rotarians listen to the lecture on parasitism conducted by Dr. Monica Nafarete.

After the lecture, more than 10,000, 500 mg. mebendazole deworming tablets were distributed to the day care workers which were to be dispensed to the 10,000 day care children in Iloilo City , under the supervision of the City Social Welfare Office and the members of the Rotary Club of Metro Iloilo. A second dose of deworming tablets will be distributed 6 months thereafter, to prevent the recurrence of parasite infection. The deworming project is part of the Rotary Club of Metro Iloilo's efforts to help the day care children pursuant to the thrust of District 3850, under District Governor Nanette Garcia and Rotary International, under President Glen Estess , to provide health services to deserving communities especially the children. Deworming tablets worth P 450,000.00 was purchased for the project from funds generated through a matching grant between the Rotary Club of Suan Peung , Thailand, Rotary International and the Rotary Club of Metro Iloilo. This international collaboration is Rotary's way of providing help to various communities worldwide.

The Rotary Club of Metro Iloilo, now under the

Rotary Club of Iloilo President Atty. Cyril Regalado and Rotarian James Woo answer question from the audience during the open forum.

leadership of President Cyril Regalado , has been engaged in various projects for the upliftment and development of the Day Care Centers through medical care, supplemental feeding, literacy centers, facilities upgrading and skills improvement of the day care workers. The welfare of the day care children is a focus of District Governor Nanette Garcia, Governor for all the Rotary Clubs in Panay , Negros , and Western Mindanao .

The deworming project coincided with a Department of Health memorandum to target the eradication or mitigation of parasitism which is an endemic cause of various illnesses and poor physical and mental development of children. It is also part of the service-oriented celebration by the Rotary Club of Metro Iloilo and the other Rotary Clubs in celebration of Rotary's Centennial Anniversary on February 23, 2005 .