Himachal Pradesh has been ranked first in the STH Follow-up Survey in the country.

As per the STH survey, Himachal Pradesh has topped not only in the country but in the world as worms prevalence has been estimated lowest at 0.3 per cent only amongst children in the age group of 1-19 years.

The report was shared by Health Minister Vipin Singh Parmar who also congratulated the Health, Education, Women and Child Development, Urban and Rural and other departments who were associated in deworming programme. The minister credited the success to the coordinated efforts of all line departments that this deworming campaign was organized on mission mode in state.  

About the Deworming programme in Himachal:

• National Deworming Programme was started in the year 2015 and Himachal was one of the first states to adopt this programme.
• Albendazole medicine is given to all the government and private school students, left out students and Anganwadi students of 1-19 years age group.
• He said that 98 percent children were administered deworming medicine in the state.

About the STH Survey:

• In 2015, a survey was conducted by National Centre for Disease Control in 2015 indicated STH prevalence of 29 percent amongst children in Himachal Pradesh whereas as per recent survey held in October, 2018 it was estimated as 0.3 percent only.
• In this year’s survey, 42 children samples of five districts of all the four agro-climatic zone in Himachal Pradesh were taken and only 3 children were found positive of STH which was lowest in the world.
• As per WHO guidelines, deworming can be stopped when STH prevalence is less than one percent.

The HP state government has started Himcare scheme to provide health benefits to those families who were not covered under this scheme of the government of India.