The Kwali Area Council in partnership with a pharmaceutical company, Biomedical Limited, has commenced mass deworming exercise for over 16,800 school pupils.
The exercise which target children of ages between two to five years will also be extended to 12 states of the federation, according to the sponsors.
Speaking at the flag off of the programme in Kwali on Thursday,
the marketing manager of biomedical, Watson Olojo said the deworming exercise was designed to mark 40th years anniversary of its existence.
He said the objective is to deworm children in order to provide nutrients that is required for their physical, mental growth and performance in schools.
“This programme is targeted for 16800 dorses of anti-worm drugs in Kwali Area council. There is a particular age group that is being targeted and that is between two to five years of school based pupils.
“I can tell you that one of the things we really recognised for biomedical Limited is the fact that we have transformed from lifesavers to live in infancy company and the school based deworming is just one of them.
“The other ones are the the visits to the orphanages where we attend to orphans and then in our communities, especially our community in a poorer state.
We have done some community related programs to support feeding, to say and they are recognized some of the most special festivals and moments.
“This is what we are going to be doing in 12 states and this is the fourth state we’re implementing. Our target for here is 16 800 students.”
He further said the company is looking at 450,000 children across the 12 states.
The Etsu of Kwali, Alhaji Shaban Audu Nizazo III, who was represented at the event by Chief Victor Obashono said
the programme is a wonderful one that will go a long way in providing the necessary nutrients for the children.
While commending Biomedical for the gesture, he said, “It is going to improve the health status of children in the sense that health is wealth and a healthy child is going to produce a healthy knowledge so it is going to help them a lot,” he said.
On her part, the representative of the FCT Primary Healthcare, Aisha Bello said the commended Biomedical for keying into the programme to facilitate what hoceriis doing.
“Basically, it supposed to eliminate worms in children 12 to 59 months so that they can grow well, so that it will reduce incidences of malnutrition. We are very grateful to Biomedical and we appreciate their support because we are looking for partners to support the FCT primary health care in this intervention.
“Normally, it is recommended by WHO that twice in a year, a child of 12-59 months should take dorses of deworming tablets.
The issue of malnutrition is a multi sectoral problem so we need to approach it multisectorily so we need people coming from different sector support us so we are happy they chosed to do this as a means of celebrating their 40th years anniversary,” she said.
