Kathmandu, April 17 -- In a bid to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasites in children, the Ministry of Health and Population is preparing to carry out a nationwide study with financial and technical support from the World Health Organisation.

Health officials said that the study would be the first of its kind in Nepal, which will provide detailed insight into the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth infection among children.

"We have been administering deworming tablets to children under five years, but are still in the dark about the actual disease prevalence," said Lila Bikram Thapa, chief of the Nutrition Section of the Family Welfare Division of the Department of Health Services. "This study will help us understand the dis...