The National Deworming Day (NDD) is observed in India on February 10th to make every child worm-free. It is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, which seeks to ensure better overall health in the community. The process of making our children intestinal worm-free is a gradual one. Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) are worms transmitted through the soil contaminated with faecal matter. They are essentially intestinal parasitic worms, some common ones being Ascaris lumbricoides (Roundworm), Trichuris trichiura (whipworm) and Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale (hookworms). (1)
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Health Statistics and Impact
As per reports from the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 24% of the world population is infected with STH. Two hundred forty-one million children between the ages of 1 to 14 years bear the risk of being infected with these parasitic worms. It results in alarming health statistics as almost 7 out of 10 children aged 6-59 months are anaemic. (1)
STH infections are a serious public health concern for India. They can lead to malnutrition, anaemia, detrimental mental and physical and cognitive development, and reduced school participation. (2)
Prevention Measures of STH
STH infections can be prevented to a certain extent by:
- Avoid defecating in the open, especially the soil. Use well-appointed sanitized toilets instead.
- Handwashing, before and after using the bathroom.
- Use of slippers and shoes to avoid infection.
- Washing fruits and vegetables in safe and clean water.
- Cooking the food well before eating. (1)
National Deworming Day: Objectives
National Deworming Day seeks to deworm all children between 1-19 years. It will help upgrade their overall health status, nutritional status, regularity in access to education and quality of life. Schools and Anganwadi centres play a vital role in executing the initiative. (2)
The National Deworming Day is conducted in all states/UTs on February 10th every year, followed by a mop-up day on February 15th. Some states in India run a bi-annual round on August 10th, depending on the worm status in the territory. For instance, Tripura will conduct the rounds per government and WHO guidelines in 2022 to address a worm prevalence of 60%. (2)
Key Stakeholders in the National Deworming Day
The nodal agency responsible for policymaking, advocacy and providing guidelines on NDD is the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Based on these guidelines, the states and Union Territories in India become responsible for implementation. The programme is implemented by the combined efforts of the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation; at various levels.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj gives another support needed for the deworming system, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry of Urban Development, and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). (1)
In conclusion, NDD is a far-reaching campaign for eradicating conditions related to infections by worms, especially in children. With a coverage of 89 million children when initially launched, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare mandated that it be observed as a day every year on February 10th since 2017. (1)
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Anzen Export’s blog posts have been written with the information gathered from approved medical journals and websites online. Our research and technical team strive to provide relevant information through such articles. We advise consulting a doctor about an ingredient or medicine before taking it to be best informed.