Ogun targets .5m pupils for deworming
The Ogun State government has said its School Based Deworming (SBD) and Community-Based Deworming (CBD) for this year are targeting over 500,000 school children from age five to 14 in the 11 local government areas.
It said the programmes are meant to curtail the prevalence of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in all the local government areas.
Health Commissioner Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Nofiu Aigoro, spoke in Abeokuta, the state capital, at the sensitisation of stakeholders in deworming.
He said it was imperative to deworm all children across the state to control worm transmission in the communities.
Ipaye said it is possible for children to carry worms for a long time without exhibiting visible symptoms.
The commissioner noted that 534,368 school-aged children (five to 14 years) would to be dewormed, while 2,951 schools (public and private), 272 health workers and 3,576 school teachers would be involved.
He added: “The infections have long-term impact on the health, educational and overall well-being of the child. But the deworming tablet is safe and effective for all children, even the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Federal Ministry of Health recommend these tablets for treatment of Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) and schistosomiasis.”
Also, the Deputy Director for National Deworming Programme in the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Obiagel Nebe, said worms infect more than one-third of the world’s population with the most intense infections in children and the poor.
The director said it was important to embrace the programme in order to tackle rampant cases of NTDs among the children.
She added that common worm infections in school-age children could be treated effectively with two single-dose pills: one for all the common intestinal worms (hookworm, roundworms and whipworms) and the other for schistosomiasis (bilharzia).
Dr Nebe said the treatment was safe, even when given to uninfected children.
The Programme Coordinator, Dr. Islamiyat Soneye, reiterated government’s commitment to tackling the NTDs.
She said the diseases were communicable and constituted public health concerns, including onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis and Buruli ulcer.
The programme coordinator noted that NTDs are estimated to affect over one billion people worldwide, while 40 per cent of those found to reside in sub-tropical Africa, in which Nigeria has 25 per cent.
According to her, the World Health Organisation (WHO) focuses on over 17 of the diseases, out of which 11 were endemic in Nigeria.
Soneye said the state’s NTDs control programme focused on only four of the diseases.
Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Project, Mrs. Tinuola Shopeju, who was represented by the Nutrition Officer for Home-grown Project, Mrs. Omolola Oluga, assured the publics, parents and guardians of proper feeding of their wards for the deworming.
Mrs Shopeju government would prepare adequate food for the pupils in public schools for the taking off the programme.
The programme was witnessed by members of League of Imams and Alfas, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Parents/Teachers Association (PTA), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Community Development Associations (CDAs), All Nigerian Conference of Principals Secondary School (ANCOPSS) and other stakeholders.
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