Union Health minister declared 10 February as National Deworming Day

10 February: National Deworming Day
Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda declared 10 February as the National Deworming Day.  

National Deworming Day is an initiative focused on reducing the threat of parasitic worm infections, a widespread health issue affecting over 24 crore children in India alone.

Beside this, Nanda on 9 February 2015 launched the National Deworming Initiative. The initiative aims to protect all pre-school and school-age children (enrolled and non-enrolled) between the ages of 1-19 years from intestinal worms.

Under the massive school-based deworming initiative, the targeted children will be given Albendazole tablets (half tablet to 1-2 years children and one full tablet for 2-19 years).

The Deworming Initiative will be carried out in two phases, they are
• First phase: to be carried out on 10 February 2015 and will cover about 14 crore children across eleven States/UT of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Tripura
• Second phase: to be carried out between 11 February and 14 February 2015 and during this period, rest 10 crore children will be targeted

Children up to the age of 5 years will be given the medicines at Anganwadi centres, while the children in age group of 6 to 19 years will be provided the medication at all government schools.

According to WHO estimates, nearly 24 crore children in the age group of 1-14 years are at risk of intestinal parasitic worm infestation in India.