National Deworming Day

• The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare launched the first 'National Deworming Day' -a massive school-based deworming efforts in twelve states on February 10.
• Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare inaugurated the national programme, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, together with Rajasthan Chief Minister.

• In February 2015, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare constituted NDD in 277 districts of 11 States and Union Territories (UTs) including Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Tripura.
• In 2016, the NDD, a day and programme dedicated to deworm children, was scaled up to cover all the districts across the country. Since then it is observed twice a year on February 10 and August 10, across the nation.
• The deworming activity is carried out in all government and government aided schools and anganwadi centers.
• On this day, Albendazole tablet (deworming drug) is administered to children.
• The day is followed by a Mop-Up Day (MUD) with the intent of deworming children who missed the dose on the NDD.

• The National Deworming Day is an initiative of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India to make every child in the country worm free.
• This is one of the largest public health programs reaching large number of children during a short period.

• The National Deworming Day was introduced to deworm all preschool and school-age children (enrolled and non-enrolled) between the ages of 1-19 years.
• India's first National Deworming Day took place on the 10th February 2015, during which the Indian Government publicly committed to deworming 140 million children nationwide.
• The day aims at eradicating intestinal worms also known as Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH), among children in the age group of 1-19 years.
• According to the World Health Organisation, about 241 million children in India in the ages of 1-14 years are at a risk of parasitic intestinal worms or STH. This means, India accounts for approximately 28 per cent of the total number of children globally estimated to be at-risk of STH infections.

• Intestinal worms are parasites that live in the human intestines and consume nutrients and vitamins that a child consumes.
• There are three main types of STH that infect people, roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale).
• These worms depend on the human body for their food and survival and while being there, they lay thousands of eggs each day.

• Infected people who defecate in the open spread worm eggs in their faeces. Subsequently, the eggs contaminate the soil which further contaminates food and water, spreading the infection.
• Intestinal worm infection often makes its way through vegetables which are not properly washed, peeled and cooked; contaminated water; and outdoor activities – children who play in soil and then put their hands in their mouths without washing them.

Facts

• India has the highest burden of soil-transmitted helminths--parasitic worms--in the world.
• Parasitic worms in children interfere with nutrient uptake, and can contribute to anemia?, malnourishment?, and impaired mental and physical development.
• According to the 2012 report 'Children in India', published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Govt. of India, 48% of children under the age of five years are stunted and 19.8% are wasted, indicating that half of the country's children are malnourished.

• There is a long list of the negative effects and dangers of the worm infection.
• Since worms feed on host (human body) tissues, including blood, it leads to loss of iron, and protein, resulting in anaemia – reduced oxygen carrying capacity due to less Haemoglobin (Hb) available in the body.
• Worm infection can also lead to diarrhoea; dysentery; loss of appetite; reduced nutritional intake and physical fitness; increased malabsorption – a condition that prevents absorption of nutrients through the small intestine.

• Albendazole tablet is the suggested deworming drug and its dosage depends on how young a child is.
• According to experts, Albendazole is an effective drug and doesn’t have any significant adverse effects.

• The foremost step is to improve hygiene which includes washing hands particularly before eating and after using toilet; using sanitary latrines; wearing slippers/shoes; keeping the surroundings clean; ensuring nails are short and clean.