Bhubaneswar: The Directorate of Family Welfare, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with UNICEF, is launching a month-long deworming campaign from February 10 to improve the health and nutritional status of children and women in Odisha.
A mop-up round will be held on 17 February 2025 for the beneficiaries who missed the dose. The Vitamin A supplementation programme will also be implemented during the same period.
The National Deworming Day (NDD) campaign will deworm all preschool and school children in the age group of 1 to 19 years biannually through schools and Anganwadi centres. Additionally, women of reproductive age between 20 and 24 years will also be dewormed.
Speaking to the media, Dr. Sanjukta Sahoo, Director of Family Welfare, said, “During NDD, children and young women will receive age-appropriate Albendazole (suspension or tablets) at their schools and Anganwadi centres from teachers, Anganwadi workers, and ASHAs.”
“Simultaneously, children aged 9-60 months will receive age-appropriate Vitamin A doses at routine immunization sites and special Village Health and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs) throughout February to boost immunity and prevent childhood blindness,” she added.
“The NDD campaign will be implemented in all schools and Anganwadi centres in Odisha, including private schools, playschools, childcare institutions, and other academic institutions. Approximately 14,649,623 children between the ages of 1 and 19, and 1,773,187 women of reproductive age (who are not pregnant or lactating) are expected to benefit from the NDD,” informed Dr. Smrutijit Patnaik, Joint Director, Nutrition.
The initiative will be held in 24 districts, i.e, Angul, Boudh, Bhadrak, Bargarh, Balasore, Debagarh, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Khordha, Keonjhar, Koraput, Kendrapara, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Puri, Sambalpur, Subarnapur, and Sundargarh. In six additional districts, i.e, Bolangir, Cuttack, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, and Rayagada), some blocks will implement Lymphatic Filariasis – Mass Drug Administration (LF-MDA), covering children aged between 1 and 2 years under NDD.
“National Deworming Day is a vital initiative, safeguarding the health of our children and communities. This widespread effort aims to improve overall health, nutritional status, access to education, and quality of life for children and women of reproductive age,” emphasized Sourav Bhattacharjee, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF.
“Deworming is an opportunity to improve the overall health and well-being of children and women in Odisha by preventing the negative impacts of intestinal worms and fostering a healthier future,” said Sanjay Sahoo, Nutrition Officer, UNICEF.
The campaign is a collaborative effort between the Department of Health and Family Welfare, and Department of School and Mass Education, Department of Women and Child Development, and Department of ST and SC Development, and development partner UNICEF.
