Fredrick Odiero
Health authorities have said the deworming of primary school pupils across Kisumu County was a major success.
This year, the National School-Based Deworming (NSBD) Program targeted 14 counties in which Kisumu was part of the beneficiaries.
The NSBD program is an intervention that provides deworming treatment targeting children of ages two to 14 years, enrolled and non-enrolled school children.
Speaking during the deworming exercise, the County Director for Health and Sanitation, Dr. Fred Oluoch, stated that the one-day deworming exercise administered 400mg of Albendazole, one tablet per child, adding that the tablet is known to have no advanced side effects.
Dr. Oluoch said the response towards the exercise in the area was very positive adding that a review of the same will soon be done in order to access the efficacy of the drugs which were used.
Dr. Oluoch said the exercise was spearheaded by the County Department of Health together with the Ministries of Health and Education.
The County Public Health Information Officer Mr. Jeremiah Ongwara said that this year’s exercise targeted all public and private primary schools, with close to 400 thousand having received the treatment.
Mr. Ongwara also noted that community sensitization of the exercise was done through community health workers and teachers.
Parents and teachers are encouraged to ensure children receive deworming treatment as evidence has shown that 44 per cent of the children are less likely to have a moderate or severe worm infection and as a result, are less likely to report being sick, and less likely to miss school than they would have been without treatment.
The exercise was earlier launched by Director General of Health Dr. Patrick Amoth and the Principal Secretary Ministry of Education Dr. Julius Jwan.
