National Deworming Day (NDD)

National Deworming Day

National Deworming Day is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India aimed at making every child in the country worm-free. It is one of the largest public health programmes reaching millions of children within a short period of time and has been implemented in Tamil Nadu since 2015.

Helminths (worms) transmitted through soil contaminated with fecal matter are known as soil-transmitted helminths (intestinal parasitic worms). Infection from these worms can lead to anemia, malnutrition, impaired physical and cognitive development, and reduced school participation.

Goals & Objectives of the Programme

The objective of National Deworming Day is to deworm all children aged 1 to 19 years, including both school-enrolled and non-enrolled children, through schools and Anganwadi centres to improve their health, nutritional status, education access and quality of life.

Target Beneficiaries

All children (boys and girls) in the age group of 1–19 years.

Implementation

Bi-annual deworming is conducted every year during February and August.

Implementing Units

45,696 Government / Government Aided Schools

12,632 Private Schools

54,439 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs)

2,24,37,283 Total Children Benefited

Programme Implementation Process

Teachers administer Albendazole tablets to all school-enrolled children.

Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) administer Albendazole to children aged 1–5 years and out-of-school children and adolescents.

Non-enrolled children are mobilized to the nearest Anganwadi Centre through support of Village Health Volunteers and community volunteers.

Dosage Schedule

Important: Children who are sick or currently taking medication on Deworming Day or Mop-Up Day (MUD) should not be given the drug. They should take the Albendazole tablet after recovery or after consultation with a medical doctor.

Monitoring and Evaluation

RBSK Mobile Health Teams at block level monitor the implementation of National Deworming Day by visiting at least four schools or Anganwadi Centres on NDD and Mop-Up Day.

District monitoring is carried out by DDHS, DTTMO, DMCHO and APM.

State level monitoring is conducted by officers from Directorate of Public Health and National Health Mission.

Teams from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India also conduct random monitoring visits across schools and Anganwadi centres.

Recording and Reporting Process

Data on deworming coverage and implementation is recorded and reported through structured monitoring formats to ensure accurate tracking of programme performance and coverage across the state.

National Health Mission – Tamil Nadu