Gov. Ben Ayade
The Cross River Government says that no fewer than 750, 000 children would be reached in the 2017 school-based deworming programme across the state.
The state’s resolve was stated in an interview with journalists on Sunday in Calabar by Mr Thomas Igbang, the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Coordinator in the State’s Ministry of Health.
He said that the state government was targeting all school children aged between five and 14 in the week-long deworming exercise.
He said that government was targeting schools for the exercise since research showed that treated children experience better health, educational attainment, and economic outcomes
He said that following successes recorded in the first year of the state-wide school-based de-worming program in 2016, the State government would replicate it and surpass the coverage achieved last year.
“Treatment will take place in 12 of the state’s 18 local government areas on May 31. Treatment has already been completed in one Local Government Area.
“ More than 700,000 children were de-wormed in over 1,700 schools,’’ Igbang said.
He said the school-based campaign would complement the recently conducted community-based treatment against lymphatic Filariasis and Onchocerciasis (River Blindness) in 17 council areas.
“All school-age children (aged 5-14), regardless of their enrollment status, are eligible to be treated.
“Rigorous studies have shown that children who are de-wormed experience improved health, education, and economic outcomes both during childhood and later in life.
“Our target is about 750,000 school aged children (5-14 years). So the last year’s target was 700,000 but 87 per cent was achieved,’’ he said.
He also said that Mebendazole would be used to treat for Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) in seven local government areas while Praziquantel would be used to treat Schistosomiasis in nine council areas.
Schistosomiasis is a chronic disease caused by parasitic worms which infect peole during routine agricultural, domestic, occupational and recreational activities which expose them to infested water.
Igbang said that the exercise would be conducted in line with guidelines from the Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Both medicines are very safe and side effects are very mild and rare. Teachers have been trained to safely and effectively administer the medicines to children and will do so during the course of the school day.
“As an extra precaution, frontline health facility workers have also been trained by the state team and will be well-prepared to respond to any needs that could possibly arise.
He said that “the NTD team is committed to eliminating the public health problem of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis by 2020 as envisioned by the Cross River State Strategic Plan 2015’’.
Also speaking Mr. Abia Chris Abia, Director of Administration in the State Ministry of Education, said that the massive awareness campaign on program helped to dispel superstitious beliefs that limited successes in the past.
“The Hon. Commissioner is encouraging all parents and guardians to allow their children to participate in this year’s 2017 free de-worming exercise.
“Schools are also open for non-registered children to access these medicines,’’ he said.
The Cross River State health and education sectors began collaborating against the two neglected tropical diseases, which are significant public health burdens among its populace.
Nigeria bears the second-highest burden of these worms (second only to India) which cause anaemia, malnutrition, and decreased school attendance.
Chronic cases of schistosomiasis can lead to significant organ damage and other diseases.
According to research Nigeria also has the second-highest worm burden among school-age children in the world.
School-based deworming is implemented by the NTD program of the Cross River Ministry of Health in partnership with the State Ministry of Education including the State Universal Board of Basic Education.
The program is supported by Evidence Action, and USAID’s ENVISION project led by RTI International and other donors.
De-worming drugs are donated by Merck KGaA (praziquantel for schistosomiasis) and Johnson & Johnson (mebendazole for STH) through the World Health Organization’s drug donation program.
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