Recent reports from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare suggest that states across India have observed a reduction in worm prevalence. Regular deworming, as advised by the World Health Organization (WHO), has been instrumental in reducing worm infestations among children and adolescents in areas with high Soil-Transmitted Helminthiases (STH) burden. This achievement contributes greatly towards improved nutrition and health outcomes for these individuals.
Helminthiases refers to infestation or illness resulting from parasitic worms.
Background on Soil-Transmitted Helminthiases in India
According to the WHO report on STH released in 2012, an alarming 64% of children aged between one to fourteen years were vulnerable to STH in India. This risk was mainly attributed to poor hygiene and sanitation practices coupled with limited STH prevalence data at that time. Recognizing the need for clearer data, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare commissioned the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to orchestrate and carry out nationwide baseline STH mapping.
The project concluded by the close of 2016, revealing varying prevalence rates ranging from 12.5% in Madhya Pradesh to 85% in Tamil Nadu.
Monitoring the Impact: Follow-up Surveys
To determine the impact of the high coverage National Deworming Day (NDD) programme, the Ministry recently initiated follow-up surveys led by NCDC and affiliated partners. The surveys, completed in fourteen states, revealed a reduction in worm prevalence when compared to the baseline prevalence survey.
States like Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar demonstrated significant reductions in worm prevalence in the STH prevalence follow-up survey.
Case Studies of Successful Deworming
Chhattisgarh, having hosted ten rounds of NDD to date, witnessed a dramatic decline in prevalence from 74.6% in 2016 to 13.9% in 2018. Similarly, Sikkim reported a reduction from 80.4% in 2015 to 50.9% in 2019 after nine rounds of NDD. Rajasthan, implementing only an annual round due to its low baseline of 21.1 in 2013, reported a considerable decrease to less than 1% in 2019, as per the survey.
National Deworming Day Programme Implementation
NDD is coordinated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Education, WHO and other technical partners. Initiated in 2015, it is implemented biannually (on 10th February and 10th August) via schools and anganwadis.
During the last deworming round earlier this year, which was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 11 crore children and adolescents were administered Albendazole tablets across 25 States/UTs.
Soil-Transmitted Helminths
Soil-Transmitted Helminths refer to intestinal worms in humans spread through contaminated soil. These worms thrive in the human intestines, absorbing essential nutrients and vitamins.
The three main types of helminths that infect humans are roundworm, whipworm, and hookworms. These parasites depend on the human body for nourishment and survival and can lay thousands of eggs each day.
Transmission and Impact of Soil-Transmitted Helminths
STH are transmitted through eggs passed in the feces of infected people, contaminating the soil in areas with inadequate sanitation. These worms feed on host tissues, including blood, leading to loss of iron and protein, causing anaemia and reducing oxygen-carrying capacity.
Worm infections can also lead to diarrhoea, dysentery, loss of appetite, reduced nutritional intake, physical fitness, and increased malabsorption, a condition that prevents absorption of nutrients through the small intestine.
Treatment of Soil-Transmitted Helminths
Effective and inexpensive treatment methods recommended by WHO include albendazole and mebendazole medicines. These are easy to administer by non-medical personnel such as teachers.