Adejoke Adeleye,Abeokuta
In a bid to curb the endemic soil transmitted Helminthiasis diseases, and also to ensure healthy living of the citizenry, particularly children in the state, the Ogun state Government has embarked on a State Wide School – Based Deworming Exercise across the 20 Local Government Areas. It is targeted at 1.37 million children.
The State Commissioner for Health,Dr Babatunde Ipaye while underscoring the purpose of the exercise stated that worms in children could cause weakness, fatigue, armenia and stunting that could ultimately lead to mental inefficiency, physical instability which will eventually affect their learning in school. He added that one of the key strategies of Government was to ensure that people most especially children live healthy lives and also to ensure that the homegrown school feeding programme of the government has positive impact on their learning ability.
His words: “One of the key strategies of the government is to ensure that our children live healthy lives and also ensure that the homegrown school feeding programme and the traditional meals that these pupils have at home have positive impact on their learning capability.”
Average of four to ten children have worms and this could cause weakness, fatigue, armenia and stunting that would ultimately lead to mental inefficiency, physical instability and of course affect their learning in school”,
Dr. Ipaye stated further that the exercise was in collaboration with Evidence Action, saying that the drugs were globally donated by the best pharmaceutical companies around the world who were in partnership with Ogun state Government and will not support substandard Services.
Speaking at the press conference, the Lead Representative, Evidence Action, Dr. Ima Chima appreciated the State Government for embracing and supporting the initiative, maintaining that the Group will continue to lend its support in eradicating soil transmitted Helminthiasis disease amongst children in the state.
“We want to appreciate the state Government for the success of the initiative. We are very proud to be associated with Ogun state, we shall continue to support the state till children becomes worm free”, she submitted.