Kwara Deworms 810,267 Schoolchildren

The Kwara State government on Tuesday flagged off the deworming programme for 810,267 school-aged children across 12 local government areas in the state.

Commissioner for Health in the State, Dr Amina El-Imam, said that school children would be administered Mebendazole tablets for the control of Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH).

Represented by the permanent secretary of the Ministry, Dr Taoheed Abdullahi, El-Imam described the programme as a vital public health intervention and stated that the STH is one of the most widespread and persistent Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

“The STH infections are caused by parasitic worms such as roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms. These worms are spread through contaminated soil, especially in environments with poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene practices.

“Children are the most vulnerable because they play on the ground, walk barefoot, and sometimes eat without proper hand washing”, the commissioner said.

El-Imam disclosed that the World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies STH as one of the most common infections among school-aged children in developing countries.

The Country Director of Sightsavers, Professor Joy Shuaibu, stated that the organisation had been at the forefront of eliminating NTDs in Nigeria.

Shuaibu, who was represented by the Kwara State programme officer of Sightsavers, Mr Olalekan Ajayi, said the organisation initiated its intervention programmes for the prevention and treatment of eye infections.

She commended the State government for its commitment to eliminating NTDs and prioritising healthcare in the state.

In her address, the NTDs Programme Coordinator, Mrs Christiana Bamigboye, explained that school children between the ages of five and 14 bear the highest burden of the disease due to poor hygiene and exposure to contaminated soil.

The representative of the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Shehu Oniyangi, lauded the state government for its healthcare intervention, describing children as the future leaders of the country who must be protected. He also enjoined caregivers to support the deworming programme.