Union Minister JP Nadda launches National Deworming initiative 2018

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda on February 10, 2018 launched the National Deworming Initiative on the occasion of the National Deworming Day.

Under the National Deworming Initiative, Union Government will work to ensure that high quality healthcare is accessible to every child and up to the last mile. The initiative is expected to benefit more than 32 crore children.

This year, the National Deworming Day will mobilize health personnel, state governments and other stakeholders to prioritize investment in control of Soil Transmitted Helminth (STH) infections.

It will create mass awareness about the most effective and low-cost STH treatment by administering Albendazole tablets. The tablet has no side effects. In case, if the dose gets missed, the Ministry will carry out mop-up sessions to ensure that no child is left out.

What is National Deworming Day Initiative and how it is carried out?
• The National Deworming Day Initiative is a single fixed-day approach to treat the intestinal worm infections in all children aged 1- 19 years and is held on 10 February and 10 August every year.

• This mass deworming program aims to reach all children at schools and anganwadis with the deworming treatment.

• To prepare for National Deworming Day, teachers and anganwadi workers have been trained to administer the Albendazole tablet to children.

• On the other hand, ASHAs and other functionaries generate awareness and mobilize children to be dewormed on the day.  

• Also, ministries and departments from Panchayati Raj and Youth affairs also deploy their resources of panchayat members, youth volunteers and other community-based groups to engage communities towards a worm free India.

Background
• The Ministry had first launched National Deworming Day (NDD) in 2015 which was implemented in 11 States/UTs across all Government and Government-aided schools and Anganwadi centres targeting children aged 1 to 19 years.

• Since then the program has been scaled up throughout the country.

• In 2017, 25.6 crore children in the February 2016 round and 22.8 crore children in the August 2016 round were successfully reached and treated with deworming treatment.

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