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eported by ttie School Heallh Cell, over a period of 7 years is shown in Tablo 5.2.
WIIIIII
11~~n~lmIl~~1~. n~laloin n11(I r(0111ml (.~IIPU were 1110 rnllllllnll rl~n~li~rl~ly rnrirltl~n~is
observed. This data also showed some variation in the prevalence of different disorders
over the years. Th~s var~atlon could either be due to a d~lference in the occurrence of
these disorders or due to differences in the methodology employed in d~fferent years.
5.2.2. Specific morbidity in school age children
la) Intestinal parasitic infections
(I) Global scenario
An important cause of morbid~ty in school age children is worm infestation. According to
the world development report 1993 (World Bank,1993) intestinal worm infestation is the
leading cause of morb~dity in children of school going age accounting for 10.6 and 9.2
rnill~on of DALY loss in males and females respectively. It was estimated that 10.0% of
young chlldren living in conditions appropriate for hyperendemic geohelminth
transmission could have an infestation sufficiently intense to cause chronic colitis and
growth retardation (Cooper and Bundy,1986 and 1988). The prevalence of Tnchuns
and Ascaris was reported to be very high in West Indies. It was 75.0% to 85.0% for
Trichuds and 80.0% to 70.096 for Ascens in dlfferent areas (Didier et a/..le88). In a
study from Jamaica, moderate to heavy loads of Trichuris infestation was found to have
a detrimental but reversible effect on certain cognitive functions in ch~ldren (Nokes et
a1.1992; Lemma and Bundy,1987). A high prevalence of Tnchuris (62.8%) and Ascan's
(49.6%) has also been reported from Malaysia (Bundy ef a1.,1988). A recent study from
Nepal showed that the prevalence of intestinal parasites was as high as 74.4% Ascaris
was the commonest (21.8%) followed by Giardia (18.5%) and Entamoeba h~stolytica