By Andrew Walyauala
waliaulaandrew0@gmail.com
School attendance has improved since the inception of school based deworming programme in 2009 according to Dr. Sara Ruto, Education Chief Administrative as children learn free from scourging of parasitic worms.
She noted that rigorous research, primarily conducted in Kenya shows that deworming treatment improves children’s cognition, physical development and school attendance.
Fundamentally, the success of the practice depends on the collaboration of two ministries; that of Health and Education.
Dr. Ruto lauded the collaboration saying, “this is the kind of collaboration that is needed when we are thinking about our children, because if teachers are going to give them the food for the brain, somebody needs to give them the food for their body. This activity is important because it means we are paying attention to the child as a whole.”
She observed this while launching weeklong nationwide deworming exercise, which kicked off on 15th Wednesday, 2021 at Manyatta primary in Kisumu.
She assured the safety of the treatment, terming it highly effective and recognizable globally.
Evidence Action Organization report indicates that over six million children aged 2-14 years in areas risk of worm infection benefit from the treatment.
A research by Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) revealed that the prevalence of soil related disease decreased out of a sample of 62 children involved in the study, proving the effectiveness of the program in mitigating worm infection.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the program, which reduces the risk of school going children from contracting intestinal worms.
