As part of the Ogun State Government's measures to protect children in the state against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration has commenced the second phase of its Bi-annual School-based De-worming Exercise for 2022.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, while flagging off the exercise in Abeokuta, said the State targets one million school-age between 5 and 14 years in both public and private schools across 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs) for the programme which would hold for 10 days.

Coker said her Ministry, with the support of one of its development partners, “Evidence Action”, had continually implemented the school-based deworming exercise since the inception of the present administration, saying the bi-annual programme had contributed significantly to the control and elimination of the diseases in the endemic LGAs. 

"This exercise will take place in 13 LGAs including Abeokuta North, Ewekoro, Ijebu East, Ijebu North, Ijebu North East, Ikenne, Imeko-Afon, Odeda, Ogun Waterside, Remo North, Yewa North, Ipokia, and Ijebu-Ode. We hope to Mass Drug Administration of Praziquantel and Mebendazole tablets to school-age children in these parts of the State.

"These medications will effectively prevent and treat Schistosomiasis and Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis, which are the common NTDs in many rural areas in the State. I am sure that the drugs will prevent the consequences of these worms, including abdominal pain, enlarged liver, shortage of blood, liver fibrosis or bladder cancer, malnutrition, poor mental and cognitive capability among school-age children," she said.

The Commissioner disclosed that over two thousand five hundred teachers, one thousand and sixty-seven community distributors, and four hundred health workers had been trained for the exercise.

She called on the media, teachers, parents, community leaders, school proprietors, and other stakeholders to support the exercise, assuring that the deworming drugs are free and safe.

In her goodwill message, the representative of Evidence Action, Mrs. Maryann Edeth, appreciated the State Government for prioritising the health of children through deworming exercise and other programmes, promising that her organisation would continue to support the exercise.