Bhubaneswar, February 9: To strengthen child nutrition, address anaemia, and prevent intestinal worm infections, the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Odisha, with support from UNICEF, will conduct the National Deworming Day (NDD) on February 10, 2026, and Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS) programmes across the State.
Parallelly, the Lymphatic Filariasis–Mass Drug Administration (LF-MDA) programme will be implemented in selected districts as part of an integrated public health strategy. The LF-MDA initiative involves community-wide administration of anti-filarial medication to interrupt transmission and eliminate lymphatic filariasis.
The NDD programme will administer Albendazole to over 1.59 crore children aged 1 to 19 years and more than 19 lakh women of reproductive age (20 to 24 years) across all 30 districts. The biannual Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS) programme will cover an estimated 32 lakh children aged 9 to 60 months, boosting immunity and reducing child mortality and morbidity.
Dr. Shakti Prakash Mishra, Director of Family Welfare, Govt of Odisha, said, “National Deworming Day is a key public health intervention that helps protect children from parasitic infections and addresses anaemia among young women. Regular deworming supports better nutrition, healthier growth, and improved participation of children in school, contributing to their long-term development.”
Sourav Bhattacharjee, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Odisha, said, “Bringing deworming doses together with Vitamin A supplementation allows families to access multiple essential health services through a single platform. This integrated approach strengthens child nutrition, supports immunity, and helps create a strong foundation for healthy growth and learning.”
The programme will also be implemented alongside Lymphatic Filariasis–Mass Drug Administration (LF-MDA) in seven Implementation Units (IU), five selected districts—Bargarh, Bolangir, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, and Jajpur. In these districts, children aged 1–2 years will also receive deworming medication.
This large-scale initiative, which is coordinated by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, will involve government, government-aided, and private schools, as well as Anganwadi centres. More than two lakh workforces, including teachers, ANMs, supervisors, Anganwadi Workers, and ASHAs, will actively participate in drug administration. UNICEF is supporting this campaign.
Worth mentioning, over 1.7 crore beneficiaries are scheduled to be covered statewide in the massive public health campaign, especially significant for children.
The press briefing was also attended by Dr. Aditya Mohapatra, Additional Director - Child Health; Dr. Smrutijit Patnaik, Joint Director-Nutrition; and Dr. Sanjay Kumar Sahoo, Nutrition Officer, UNICEF Odisha.
