India gets appreciation from WHO for its nation-wide de-worming initiative
Very recently, World Health Organization congratulated India for launching one of the largest public health campaigns to de-worm 270 million people in the age group of one to 19 years, on a single day across the country. The scale of the campaign was record breaking and reflects the country’s resolve to address health issues related to parasitic intestinal worms (soil-transmitted helminthes).
Intestinal worms are a serious impediment to the development of children in India, who account for 27% of the world’s school-age children requiring treatment for the problem. Intestinal worms affect a child’s ability to grow – both intellectually and physically – and to develop into a fully functioning adult capable of contributing to wider society.
The National Deworming Day celebrated on 10th February was launched by Indian Government in 2015 and it has been serving as an important step in the global push to fight malnutrition in children. The Deworming Initiative of the Health Ministry aimed to deworm all pre-school and school-age children (enrolled and non-enrolled) between the ages of 1-19 years. In the first phase about 14 crore children across eleven States/UT of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Tripura was covered; while nearly 10 crore was targeted in the second phase. In the first phase starting from the National Deworming Day on 10th February 2015, Albendazole tablets given to all targeted children; half tablet to 1-2 years children and one full tablet for 2-19 year. Regarding, the programme, Union Health Minister had urged participation of all MPs, MLAs, and local public representatives in addition to school teachers, ASHAs and Anganwadi workers for converging and supporting the Government in its mission to achieve Worm Free India. He also urged that the initiative needs to be coupled with improved sanitation, hygiene, and availability of safe drinking water for reducing worm load. This needs active partnership and participation of the other ministries such as M/o Women and Child Development, M/O Human Resources Development, M/o Panchayati Raj and M/o Water and Sanitation, he said. The deworming initiative would help to achieve ‘Swachh Bharat’.
Therefore, amidst all challenges associated with public health in India, there are areas where India has been achieving success and one such position is of the fight against some Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) with the de-worming initiative.
NTDs refer to a group of bacterial and parasitic diseases that are spread by insects like mosquitoes and flies, or by contact with contaminated soil or water. The World Health Organisation, National Health Departments and individual drug companies have for decades mounted campaigns against these diseases. The diseases that fall under this category are mainly -
• Buruli ulcer
• Chagas disease
• Dengue and Chikungunya
• Dracunculiasis (guinea-worm disease)
• Echinococcosis
• Endemic treponematoses (Yaws)
• Foodborne trematodiases
• Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
• Leishmaniasis
• Leprosy (Hansen disease)
• Lymphatic filariasis
• Onchocerciasis (river blindness)
• Rabies
• Schistosomiasis
• Soil-transmitted helminthiases
• Taeniasis/Cysticercosis
• Trachoma
The 2012 London Declaration brought together national governments, global health and development organizations and pharmaceutical companies in a common aim — the control, elimination or eradication of 10 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2020. India’s action complements WHO’s ongoing battle against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), which though on the verge of elimination, continue to be public health challenges in the South-East Asia Region. WHO is prioritizing elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases in the Region and is committed to support all countries scale-up efforts and to make NTDs history.
PSM INDIA applauds the Government of India in the successful implementation of this initiative and can proudly claim that the de-worming initiative, along with measures to address hygiene and sanitation, will go a long way in improving the health of children as well as that of our nation.