Over one lakh children and youth in Himachal’s Hamirpur to receive deworming medicine

Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner Gandharva Rathore announced on Monday that approximately 1,10,309 children and adolescents aged 1 to 19 years in the district will receive Albendazole , a deworming medicine, during the last week of February as part of National Deworming Day . Children between 1 and 5 years will also be administered a dose of Vitamin A to support eye health and immunity.

“Physical development of a child is affected if worms are present in the stomach. Therefore, it is crucial to provide deworming medicine to every child and adolescent,” DC Rathore said while reviewing preparations with officials from the Health Department and allied departments. She emphasized that migrant and out-of-school children should be specifically included to ensure no child is left out.

National Deworming Day is a government-led public health initiative launched in 2015 to reduce intestinal worm infections across India. It targets all children and adolescents aged 1 to 19 years through schools, Anganwadi centres , and community health programmes. The medicine is administered on a fixed day, with a mop-up day scheduled shortly after to reach children who were absent. The programme aims to reduce the prevalence of worms, improve nutrition and overall health, support school attendance, and promote hygiene awareness.

Intestinal worm infections are highly prevalent in India, particularly in rural areas, urban slums, and regions with limited sanitation and clean water. Millions of children are at risk of infection from parasites such as roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms, which can lead to malnutrition, anemia, stunted growth, fatigue, poor appetite, and impaired cognitive development. The programme provides Albendazole even to children who may not currently have worms because infections are often asymptomatic and testing every child would be impractical. The medicine is considered safe, with only mild side effects such as stomach discomfort, nausea, or mild diarrhea in some cases. In children with worms, these reactions may occur as the body expels the parasites.

Similar campaigns are conducted in other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala. The programme is administered over several days or weeks to manage logistics, reach all eligible children, and monitor any side effects. Children under five often receive Vitamin A alongside Albendazole to improve immunity, prevent eye problems, and support overall nutrition. Health education on handwashing, sanitation, wearing footwear, and using toilets is promoted alongside medicine distribution to prevent reinfection and sustain the benefits of the programme.

DC Rathore highlighted the importance of coordination among the Health Department, Education Department, Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj, ASHA workers, and other related departments to ensure the success of the campaign. Reviewing other vaccination and immunization initiatives in the district, she noted that twelve types of vaccines are administered to young children at different stages to protect them from serious diseases, with the district maintaining a commendable coverage percentage.

Through these efforts, Hamirpur and the rest of India aim to tackle a silent but widespread health challenge, ensuring that millions of children grow healthy, well-nourished, and free from preventable worm infections while promoting hygiene and long-term development.