Kwara govt trains 3,000 teachers, 775 community-directed distributors, others ahead of de-worming exercise

In preparation for a massive de-worming exercise across the State, the Kwara State Government will train 3,000 teachers, 775 Community-Directed Distributors, 300 health workers, 125 social mobilization officers to ensure the success of the programme.

Speaking in a statement by the Ministry’s Press Secretary, Falade Gbenga, on Friday, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam, said the massive de-worming exercise will cover 776,896 children between the ages of 5 to 14 years in 15 Local Government Areas of the State.

Represented by Mrs. Bamgboye Yemisi, the State Coordinator of the Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Programme at the opening of a three-day training workshop in Ilorin, Dr. El-Imam emphasized the significance of the exercise in promoting the health and well-being of children, calling on parents, guardians, and school authorities to support the exercise.

According to her, the de-worming exercise is aimed at combating Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis through the Mass Administration of Medicines (MAM) in all the 15 endemic LGAs.

She expressed gratitude to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his unwavering commitment to improving healthcare in the state as well as the team from the Federal Ministry of Health and Sight Savers International.

“The de-worming campaign underscored the State’s commitment to safeguarding the health of its younger population and ensuring a healthier Kwara’, she added.

In a related development, the Kwara State Sight Savers Programme Officer, Mr. Lekan Ajayi urged participants to take ownership of the project in their respective LGAs for effective implementation.