India's National Deworming Day - February 10

 

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare today launched the first 'National Deworming Day' -a massive school based deworming effort in twelve states on Tuesday February 10.Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare inaugurated the national programme, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, together with Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Rajendra Rathore, Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Government of Rajasthan, in the presence of senior officials from the Central and State Government.

National Deworming Day is a groundbreaking initiative focused on reducing the threat of parasitic worm infections, a widespread health issue affecting over 241 million children in India alone.

India has the highest burden of soil-transmitted helminths--parasitic worms--in the world. Parasitic worms in children interfere with nutrient uptake, and can contribute to anemia​, malnourishment​, and impaired mental and physical development.

According to the 2012 report 'Children in India', published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Govt. of India, 48% of children under the age of five years are stunted and 19.8% are wasted, indicating that half of the country's children are malnourished.