Disparities in deworming coverage between children with and without disabilities: insights from the DeWorm3 trial in India

BACKGROUND: Children with disabilities experience lower school enrolment rates and may be systematically excluded from school-based deworming programmes. The DeWorm3 trial provided an opportunity to evaluate whether community-wide mass drug administration (cMDA) could reduce these disparities by reaching children outside the education system. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the data from the DeWorm3 trial in Tamil Nadu, India. Children aged 5-17 years (n=82 417) who participated in at least one of the six rounds of cMDA were included. Disability was assessed using the UNICEF/Washington Group's Child Functioning Module. Mixed-effects logistic regression models examined associations between disability status and treatment coverage, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Children with disabilities (1.1% of the population) had higher unadjusted odds of not receiving deworming treatment compared with children without disabilities (OR=1.49, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.84), though this association was attenuated after adjustment (adjusted OR=1.10, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.37). Among school-attending children who received treatment, those with disabilities had significantly lower odds of receiving school-based treatment (adjusted OR=0.57, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.73). Subgroup analyses revealed that age, school attendance, parental marital status, geographical location and the COVID-19 pandemic significantly modified these associations. CONCLUSION: While cMDA reduced some disparities in deworming coverage, children with disabilities remained less likely to receive school-based treatment. Public health programmes should combine school-based approaches with targeted community outreach strategies to ensure equitable inclusion of children with disabilities, particularly those experiencing multiple vulnerabilities.