The National Deworming Day is observed on February 10 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and its main objective is to deworm children between the ages of (1-19) at schools and anganwadi centers. This year for the first time, the Ministry has decided to give the deworming tablets to the private schools' children also. The government of India had launched the initiative in 2015, making it one of the largest single-day public health initiatives in India.
Aim of this day
It aims to create mass awareness about the most effective and low-cost STH treatment administering albendazole tablets. The tablet has no side effects and in case the dose gets missed, MoHFW carries out mop-up sessions, to ensure no child is left out. Along with albendazole administration, behaviour change practices in terms of cleanliness, hygiene, use of toilets, wearing shoes/chappals, washing hands, etc. is also important to reduce incidents of re-infection.
Significance-
WHO data says that there are around 241 million children in India in the age group of 1 to 14 years that are affected due to parasitic intestinal worms. This says that India accounts for 28% of the total number of children who are at risk of parasitic intestinal infections. Worm infections lead to anemia, malnutrition, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
The necessity of deworming children:
Worm infections can cause anemia, malnourishment, impaired mental and physical development; and may cause a serious threat to children’s health, education, and productivity. According to a study, the infected children cannot concentrate on their studies and they find it very hard to put up their daily activities.
The necessity of deworming program in India:
According to WHO, India has the highest burden of Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) in the world, with 220 million children aged 1-14 estimated to be at risk of worm infections. Almost 7 in 10 children between 6 months and 5 years are anemic, with even higher rates of anemia in rural areas, the 2006 National Family Health Survey reported