Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Federal Government in conjunction with Oyo has flagged off second round of deworming exercise for 2.1 million school age children in the state over neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as soil transmitted helminthiasis and intestinal worms.
The flag off ceremony took place symbolically on Tuesday at St Michael Catholic Primary School, Yemetu, Ibadan. The exercise is expected to run simultaneously in 21 of the 33 local government areas of the state.
The brief ceremony was attended by Commissioner for Health, Bashir Bello; Programme Officer, NTDs in the Public Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Rita Urude; Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, Muideen Olatunji and representatives of the development partner, Evidence Action, as well as other strategic stakeholders.
During the first round of 2019 treatment for school age children for NTDs, at least 700,000 children below five years were said to have been dewormed earlier in the year.
Urude, on behalf of the director and National Coordinator, NTDs Elimination Programme, Federal Ministry of Health, said: “The programme performance benchmark is to deworm at least 75 percent of school age children in Oyo State. Deworming of over 2.1 million school age children targeted in Oyo State in 2019 is a task we need to accomplish.
“It will interest you to know that the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) in collaboration with the World Health Organisation have donated three million tablets of praziquantel and 600 tablets of mebendazole to Oyo State.
“The FMoH will continue to provide technical support as well as ensure deworming tablets for school age children are donated to the state programme. This campaign is expected to last for five years.
“It is important to reiterate that you are not alone in this campaign, as this nationwide coordinated school age deworming and feeding programme is happening in 36 states and Federal Capital Territory. More than 29 million school age children is targeted to be treated for 2019 nationwide.
“NTDs Division of FMoH in collaboration with some states’ Ministries of Health and support from the National Home Grown School Feeding (NHGSFP) and NTDs partners have facilitated this programme. The deworming campaign will be complemented using the NHGSFP.