The following report was provided by Sushma Ramachandran, DtW’s Communications Advisor, upon attending the launch of the deworming program headed by Delhi Chief Minister Ms. Sheila Dikshit:

The launch event for the Delhi deworming programme was held at the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Ms. Shiela Dikshit at 10 a.m. Monday, February 20. Along with her were Health Minister Dr. A.K. Walia and Minister of Women and Child Welfare Kiran Walia. It was a colourful event on a sunny cool day. A ten member all-girls school band played music while 50 children from various government and municipal schools were present. All the children were given snacks and soft drinks as soon as they arrived. The venue was decorated with red and blue balloons. It was quite lovely because the Chief Minister has a huge beautiful garden. The radio jingle prepared by Delhi Government for deworming day was played in the background when the girls band stopped playing.

When the event began, Narayan Ramachandran of Deworm the World was on the dais along with the Ministers and senior officials. Health Secretary Anshu Prakash outlined the programme and specially spoke in simple Hindi so that the children knew why they were being given the medicine. Then Ms. Kiran Walia spoke and she highly commended the role of Deworm the World in the entire programme. Dr. Walia also spoke about the importance of deworming and how as a doctor he used to regularly prescribe mebendazole to his patients. He also praised the role of DtW.

The children were then invited up to the dais one by one to be given the deworming medicine personally by the Chief Minister. Then balloons were released into the air to much cheering by the children.