Deworming: FCT Health Department Advocates Schools, Community Support

The FCT Department of Public Health has advocated for the support of schools, community and religious leaders to disseminate and encourage participation of children for the annual school deworming programme.

Dr Sadiq Abdrahman, the Director, Public Health Department, made the call during a stakeholders meeting in preparation for the FCT 2022 Annual School Deworming Exercise in Abuja.

Abdrahman, represented by Dr Eunice Ogundipe, the Head, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Unit in the department, stressed the need for the involvement of all stakeholders to ensure success of the exercise.

“We solicit stakeholders support, cooperation, collaboration and active participation in ensuring the success of the forthcoming school deworming programme through timely and adequate dissemination of information to FCT residents,” he said.

He added that the deworming drugs was for the prevention of schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms that lives in fresh water.

Dr Obiageki Nebe, the Director and Programme Manager, National Deworming Programme, Federal Ministry of Health, said the meeting was critical towards ensuring 100 per cent coverage in the exercise.

“Our active participation is necessary because we all have a role to play in the school deworming exercise.

“The drugs are free, available for children above five years and some adults to curtail the spread of schistosomiasis and improve the health of our people, especially the children,” she said.

She therefore encouraged the public to ensure children were well fed before taking the medication, adding that the school feeding exercise by the federal government was part of efforts to improve the health and nutritional value of children.

Meanwhile, Dr Johnson Onyemah, the Consultant on School Feeding, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, said over 54,000 schools nationwide were participating from the programme.

Onyemah added that over nine million school children between primary one to three were benefitting from the school feeding programme.

On his part, Malam Shehu Nasko, the Deputy Director, Health, UBEB, stressed the need for FCTA and its partners to ensure sufficient availability of deworming drugs to go round the councils.

Alhaji Shuaibu Pada, Agwai District Head and PTA Chairman, Kuje, reiterated the commitment of his council towards ensuring success of the exercise.

In her presentation on schistosomiasis, Hajiya Nafisat Isa, Disease Control Division, NTDs Unit, Department of Public Health, said Nigeria has the highest burden of schistosomiasis in Africa.

According to her, symptoms include bloody urine and stool, ache, poor appetite, fever, chills, cough and many others. (NAN)

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