Abia State Government Launches In-School Deworming Programme to Safeguard Children’s Healt

The Abia State Government has initiated the In-School Deworming Programme for children in public and private schools across six selected local government areas in the state. The launch of the program was announced on Tuesday evening, with the aim of proactively safeguarding the health and future of Abia children.

Mrs. Priscila Otti, the wife of the state governor, emphasized the significance of the In-School Deworming Programme in protecting children from the harmful effects of parasites. The program reflects the government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the welfare of every child attending schools in Abia.

The deworming initiative will be piloted in six selected Local Government Areas, including Ohafia, Bende, Ikwuano, Isialangwa South, Obingwa, and Osisioma. The target is to deworm approximately sixty thousand in-school children in the initial phase of the program.

Mrs. Otti highlighted that the decision to focus on children aged 6 to 14 years was informed by the recognition of a gap in addressing the health needs of this specific age group. While many donor agencies concentrate on children aged 0 to 5 years, the In-School Deworming Programme aims to bridge this gap and ensure the deworming of every child in Abia.

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The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Uche Eme Uche, and the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, represented by the Director of Public Health, Dr. Princes Agomuo, praised the program as a life-saving exercise. They urged children, mothers, and caregivers to promote hygiene, particularly through handwashing.

The Special Assistant to the Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Ifeoma Thomas, explained that the essence of the In-School Deworming Programme is to eradicate worm infestation among school-age children. With an estimated 35 million children between the ages of 6 and 14 infected with worms, the program is a crucial intervention.

Mrs. Caroline Charles, speaking on behalf of the partners involved in the program, emphasized the importance of deworming in reducing the effects of parasites on children. She commended the wife of the governor for the initiative and pledged continued collaboration to achieve the program’s objectives. The overarching goal of the exercise is to ensure that every school child in Abia is properly dewormed, and collective support for the program was encouraged.

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