The Kwara State Government is set to deworm 776,896 school children across 15 Local Government Areas of the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, disclosed this on Tuesday in Ilorin, during the inauguration if the Deworming Programme for School-aged Children.

“For this year’s Deworming Programme for School-aged Children, we are targeting to reach 776,896 children with deworming tablets across the 15 Local Government Areas,” she said.

She described the deworming exercise as a critical initiative for the health and well-being of children and communities.

“This deworming campaign is aimed at controlling and preventing Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminths among school-aged children, thereby safeguarding the health and well-being of our young learners.

She said, “Children are the future of our nation and their health is the foundation of their ability to dream, learn and achieve,” she said.

Ms El-Imam said millions of children around the world, and even within local communities, face the silent but significant challenge of parasitic worm infections.

According to her, Schistosomiasis, often called snail fever and Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH), also known as intestinal worms, are silent but cause severe health complications.

She listed these complications to include chronic illness, anaemia, stunted growth and impaired cognitive development.

The commissioner emphasised that no child should be allowed to face these challenges, noting that collective efforts  were required to ensure that Kwara children are free from such challenges.

According to her, the campaign is a collaborative effort between the Federal and state Ministry of Health, supporting partners (Sightsavers), schools and communities.

She reiterated the state government’s commitment towards disease preventive measures, promoting clean water, improving sanitation and raising awareness about the importance of good hygiene practices.

Also speaking, Chairman, House Committee on Health and Environment, Kwara House of Assembly, Owolabi Rasaq, said the programme was laudable, as it protects the health of children.

Mr Rasaq advised children against swimming in rivers and ponds to avoid waterborne diseases.

Kwara State Coordinator on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), Christiana Bamgboye, explained that Schistosomiasis is a parasite disease caused by Schistosoma worms.

She added that infection occurs when larval forms of the parasite found in freshwater are contaminated by infected snail hosts and penetrate the skin.

Mrs Bamgboye also explained that the deworming programmes are a cornerstone of global health efforts to reduce the burden of NTDs.

She said the programme would help reduce the burden of soil-transmitted helminths, whipworms, hookworms and schistosomiasis, which affect health, nutrition and education outcomes.

(NAN)