By Rosemil Oduor
The government has launched a deworming programme set to deworm 4 million school children across 14 counties from Sep 13-Sep 16, 2021.
The National School Based Deworming (NSBD) programme provides deworming treatments to school children who are at risk of contracting intestinal worms, a condition that affects their health, nutrition and overall well-being.
The programme is an intervention by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and is supported by several partners. Evidence Action, an international NGO working across seven countries, provides technical assistance to ensure high-quality delivery of the programme while Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) provides impact monitoring.
The programme has become a globally recognized, high-impact model for successful inter-ministerial partnership and has resulted in millions of Kenyan children growing up without having experienced worm infection.
This year’s deworming day activities will be flagged off by Dr. Julius Jwan Principal Secretary Ministry of Education and Dr. Patrick Amoth, the Director General Ministry of Health. The current deworming schedule will treat children from the counties of Narok, Nyamira, Kisii, Migori, Busia, Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Lamu, Tana River, Kilifi, Mombasa, Kwale, and Taita Taveta.
The NSBD aims to treat at least six million children annually aged 2-14 years in areas at risk of worm infection. The deworming treatment is administered in over 19,000 primary schools and ECD centres by trained schoolteachers. The treatment is free, safe, effective, and highly recommended by the World Health Organization.
