National Deworming day is observed on 10 February. The main objective of the day is to deworm all preschool and school-age children between 1-19 years of age through the platform of schools and Anganwadi Center. The day aims to improve the overall health, nutritional status, access to education and quality of life of the children.
History:
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare initiated the observation of the National Deworming Day. The first National Deworming Day in India was observed on 10 February 2015. On this day, the Indian Government publicly committed to deworming over 140 million children nationwide. The programme is supported by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Urban Development, and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Ministry of Rural Development.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) around 241 million children between the ages of 1 and 14 years are at risk of parasitic intestinal worms in India, also known as Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH). STH infections in children will lead to malnutrition, anemia, impaired mental, physical and cognitive development, and reduced school participation.
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