Wednesday, 10 February 2016

National Deworming Day: A School and Anganwadi initiative

National Deworming Day is observed on February 10th every year (started in 2015) across India. On this special day, children between 1-19 years are administered safe Albendazole 400 mg which helps in deworming children. Various innovative measures are being taken by the Indian Government like Polio eradication, National Iron Plus Initiative for combating anaemia, screening of children under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakarm and improvement of health and sanitation through Swachha Bharat Abhiyan. Another key area covered under National Deworming Day is eliminating the risk of parasitic intestinal worm infestation in children. This helps children reduce the transmission of Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH), thereby improving nutrition level and reducing anaemia.

National Deworming Day (NDD) is an initiative to help children live healthy and reduce morbidities. The Indian Government is confident that if comprehensive measures identified in National Deworming Day Guidelines are fully implemented, children will lead healthier lives.

Spread awareness by sharing the information on Deworming Day: For any appointments book through www.lazoi.com

Soil-transmitted Helminths (STH) infections are among the most common infections worldwide and affect 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. India has the highest burden of STH in the world, with 241 million children at risk of parasitic worm infections. Under-nutrition and anaemia in children has been well documented in India- almost 7 in 10 children in the 6-59 months age-group are anaemic, with even higher rates of anaemia in rural areas.

Multiple studies focus on the detrimental effects of STH on children, their school attendance and educational performance. 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. Soil-transmitted Helminths (STH) infections can cause developmental delays and spoil a child’s career.
In areas where parasitic worms are endemic, administering safe, effective deworming drugs to children at schools and anganwadis is a development due to its impact on educational and economic outcomes and low cost. The evidence shows that mass deworming leads to significant improvement in outcomes related to education, earnings, and long-term well-being.

Yes, the situation is grim and in order to combat that in February 2015, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) Government of India launched the National Deworming Day (NDD) as part of National Health Mission. NDD’s objective is to deworm all children between the ages of 1-19 years through Government, Government-aided and private schools, and anganwadi centres in order to improve their overall well-being, nutritional status, access to education and quality of life. For this program’s success, all teachers and anganwadi workers are given appropriate training and resource material to efficiently administer Albendazole tablets at school and anganwadi centres.

Spread awareness by sharing the information on Deworming Day: For any appointments book through www.lazoi.com

The NDD is the biggest running campaign in the world for the treatment of intestinal parasitic worms. Last year under NDD, 89 million children received Albendazole tablets which prompted the MoHFW to necessitate the observation of the NDD at pan-India level on 10 February 2016. This year, a mop-up day will also be observed on 15 February to cover children who might be left out earlier due to sickness or absenteeism. This will ensure maximum coverage.

Key ingredients to execute a successful NDD include drug procurement and management, adverse event management systems, monitoring and supervision plan, and recording and reporting processes. Strategies have been put into place to ensure that these components are rolled out in a streamlined and effective manner. This whole process is overlooked by The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India itself. 

Spread awareness by sharing the information on Deworming Day: For any appointments book through www.lazoi.com

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