Ogun State government says it has concluded plans to de-worm no fewer than 900,000 school children in the ongoing health awareness programme across 10 local government areas in the state.
Gov. Dapo Abiodun disclosed this in a statement signed and made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Abeokuta.
Abiodun, who spoke through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Adesanya Ayinde, said that the exercise was an opportunity to help children get rid of worms that might make them susceptible to skin and respiratory infections.
He said that a total of 839,273 children were being targeted during the exercise in 4,900 schools across the designated local government areas.
The governor called on parents and guardians to work harmoniously with the health workers, who were saddled with the responsibility of carrying out the exercise.
NAN reports that the second round of the exercise for children between the ages of 5 and 14, which commenced on Nov. 15, will end on Nov. 24.
The designated local government areas are: Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Ifo, Odeda,Yewa North, Yewa South, Odogbolu, Sagamu, Ijebu North and Ogun Waterside.
Contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the governor said that the exercise was meant to enhance the children’s health and help guard against untoward health condition that might result in absenteeism from school.
In her remarks, the state Coordinator, Neglected Tropical Diseases, Dr Islamiyat Soneye, thanked the parents for their enthusiasm towards the school-based de-worming exercise.
She urged them to encourage their wards to take part in the exercise to avoid infecting others.
Soneye noted that parents should endeavour to de-worm their kids in another three months to keep them healthy.
While monitoring the exercise in Odeda council area, the Medical Officer of Health in charge of the area, Dr Olusan Oluwaseun, described the turn-out as impressive.
He assured that all schools within the area would be touched, without leaving any out of the programme.
Oluwaseun appreciated the teachers for their support which, he said, had made the task easy, pointing out that children, who had yet to be de-wormed, would be attended to in the coming days.
