The wife of the Abia Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, has flagged off an In-School Deworming Programme to deworm 60,000 school children between the ages of 6 to 14.
The In-School Deworming initiative would be piloted in six Local Government Areas of the state including, Ohafia, Bende, Ikwuano, Isialangwa South, Obingwa and Osisioma.
Speaking during the event on Tuesday at the Government House, Umuahia, Otti described the programme as a testament of the government’s unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of Abia children.
”It is alarming to note that approximately 35 million children aged 5 to 14 are affected by various soil-transmitted helminths, with an estimated 2.9 million of them suffering from moderate to heavy intensity infections, primarily in Southern Nigeria.
“Sadly, worm and parasitic infections can severely impact a child’s health, growth and cognitive development.
“It is our responsibility to eliminate this silent threat and ensure our children are free from these preventable diseases,” she said.
The Governor’s wife, represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Adaeze Emetu, said that the programme had been designed to be a proactive approach aimed at safeguarding the health and future of every Abia child through regular provision of deworming treatments in schools.
She said that steps had been taken to ensure that the program would be a success, adding that adequate plans had been put in place to train volunteers that would carry out the deworming activities.
Mrs Otti called on parents, teachers and members of the society to support the initiative, adding that their collective efforts and active participation were required for the success of the programme.
Also, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo, said that the Ministry of Health would deploy all the necessary resources to support the deworming campaign.
Okoronkwo, who was represented by the Director, Public Health, Dr Ugonma Agomuo, said that the benefits of administering deworming treatments on children were enormous and should not be taken lightly.
She further restated the commitment of the government to transforming the health sector and improving the welfare of the people of Abia.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Ifeoma Thomas, described the programme as a significant event and a ”first of its kind”.
Thomas said that the decision to embark on the programme was informed by the desire of the government to eradicate worm infestation among school children.
“We recognize that helminthic infection is a worm infestation that interferes with nutrient uptake,can lead to anaemia, malnourishment, impaired mental, physical and cognitive development.
“Consequently this infection poses a serious threat to children’s health, growth education and productivity,” she said.
The Governor’s Aide said that the campaign would be focused on ensuring that children in Abia grow up hale and hearty as well as free from the sicknesses that worm infestations could cause to a growing child.
The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Eme Uche said a lot of children were malnourished due to the worm infestation and urged parents to always endeavour to deworm their children.
Prof Uche said:” Our schools would be open and we would create the type of awareness that would ensure that our children benefit from this initiative.”
The representative of Non-State Actors (NSAs) Partners, Mrs Carolyn Charles, described the programme as a preventative measure meant to protect Abia children’s health and future.
Charles said that the NSAs through the Accelerated Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) Project ANRiN had delivered over 1,040,000 units of albendazole to Abia children and was desirous to do more.
“It is our duty to eradicate this sneaky danger and guarantee that our kids don’t contract these avoidable illnesses,” she added.
Earlier, the Acting Executive Secretary of Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Mrs Gladys Ike, said that the agency would ensure that “no child will be left out”.
Ike, who was represented by Mrs Ngozi Eke, urged parents and guardians to make their children as well as wards available for the deworming exercise.
The event featured goodwill messages from the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Uzo Nwachukwu and the Director General of Abia State Orientation Agency, Mr Dike Nwankwo.
They described the deworming exercise as a laudable initiative and urged the people of Abia to key into the programme.
