HEALTH: 16,000 SCHOOL CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 6 AND 14 TO BE DEWORMED IN ABIA STATE 15-11-23 By Sadiq Aminu Sixty thousand school children between the ages of six and fourteen are to be dewormed in Abia State to protect them from worm and parasitic infections.
The wife of Abia Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, who stated this during inauguration of an In-School Deworming Programme at the Government House Umuahia, called on parents, teachers and members of the society to support the initiative.
Mrs. Otti represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adaeze Emetu, described the programme as a testament of the government’s unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of Abia children.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, said that the Ministry of Health would deploy all the necessary resources to support the deworming crusade in the selected local government areas of the state.
For her part, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Ifeoma Thomas, explained that the wife of the governor embarked on the programme to ensure the eradication of worm, especially among the vulnerable at the grassroots.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Education, Professor Uche Eme Uche, said a lot of children were malnourished due to worm infestation and urged parents to always deworm their children.
Africa 247 gathered that the pilot phase of the exercise would be carried out in Ohafia, Bende, Ikwuano, Isiala Ngwa South, Obingwa and Osisioma Local Government Areas of the state.