National Deworming Day in India: Why is it important?

Why it is important to observe National Deworming Day in India?

National Deworming Day

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The National Deworming Day is observed on February 10 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and its main objective is to deworm children between the ages of (1-19) at schools and anganwadi centres. On Wednesday, India attempts the world's largest deworming programme, covering 27 crore children from 11 states and 1 union territory.

Necessity of deworming children:

Worm infections can cause anemia, malnourishment, impaired mental and physical development; and may cause a serious threat to children's health, education, and productivity. According to a study, the infected children cannot concentrate on their studies and they find very hard to put up their daily activities.

Necessity of deworming program in India:

According to WHO,  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, the 2006 National Family Health Survey reported.

   

Deworming Tablet and its side effects:

Children at the age of (1-2) are given half a tablet of albendazole (400mg), and above the age of 2 are given 1 full tablet of albendazole (400mg) to chew.

Side effects:

Albendazole  is very safe and has very few side effects and it occurs with mild side effects like nausea and diarrhea and pass quickly

Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STHs):

According to WHO, Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) or Parasitic worms are among the most common infections worldwide. It lives in human intestines and consume nutrients meant for the human body. They produce thousands of eggs each day, which are passed in faeces and spread to others in areas used for public toilet.

National Deworming Day 2015: A brief review:

• In 2015, the Government of India launched phase 1 of the National Deworming Day and it was implemented in 10 states and 1 union territory; Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

• In this program, 89 million children were dewormed in 4.70 lakh schools and 3.67 lakh children in different anganwadi centres.

Expert's View on National Deworming Day:

Dr. Munish Raizada, a board certified pediatrician from Chicago lauded the efforts of Govt of India for launching a National Deworming Day (NDD) in 2015. He said even though India carries the highest burden of worm infestation, a national combat program coupled with health education, proper hygiene and precautions would result in drastic reduction in this disease burden. Raizada cautioned, however, that the cycle of parasitic infections cannot be broken with drugs alone. Proper hand washing and sanitation play an important role in preventing such diseases.