Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare has launched National Deworming initiative to benefit more than 270 million children. This was launched by declaring 10 Feb as National deworming day. Inititally, The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had first launched National Deworming Day (NDD) in 2015 which was implemented in 11 States and Union Territories (UTs) covering all Government and Government-aided schools and Anganwadi centres targeting children aged 1 to 19 years. Now, the initiative will be extended to cover the whole country.
Main Aim:

• It is aimed at protecting more than 24 crore children in the ages of 1-19 years from intestinal worms .
• Through this initiative, the government aims to create mass awareness about the most effective and low-cost Soil- Transmitted Helminths (STH) treatment— administering Albendazole tablets.
• 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.

Analysis:

• WHO indicates that 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 month and 5 years are anaemic, with even higher rates of anaemia in rural areas, according to the 2006 National Family Health Survey.
• There are at least two randomized trials in India in the last decade that demonstrate the positive impact of deworming in the country. A health intervention that provided iron, Vitamin A, and deworming drugs to Indian preschool children in the slums of Delhi found a significant gain in children’s weight and school participation compared to intervention with Vitamin A alone. Absenteeism was reduced by one-fifth in the treatment group (Bobonis et al, 2006). A cluster-randomized controlled trial found children aged 1-5 that were treated with five rounds of the deworming drug, resulted in a greater weight gain compared to non-treated groups (Awasthi S. et al 2008).
• Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are among the most common infections worldwide and a¬ct the poorest and most deprived communities. They are transmitted by eggs present in human faeces, which in turn contaminate soil in areas where sanitation is poor. Several studies show the detrimental e¬ects of STH on children’s educational performance and school attendance. Children with the highest intensity of STH infestation are often too sick or too tired to concentrate at school or attend school at all. STHs interfere with nutrient uptake in children; can lead to anaemia, malnourishment and impaired mental and physical development. Rigorous research has shown that they also pose a serious threat to children’s education and productivity later in life.Mass deworming leads to significant improvement in outcomes related to education, earnings, and long-term well-being
• School-based mass deworming program is safe, cost-effective, and can reach millions of children quickly.
• Deworming has also been shown to reduce absenteeism in schools; improve health, nutritional, and learning outcomes; and increase the likelihood of higher-wage jobs later in life.