Written By: Henry B. Gboluma,Jr
Gbarpolu County – The Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has launched the national deworms control in School-Age children in Gbarpolu County. The process started with training of trainers of District health officers (DHOs) and District Educational Officers (DEOs) in Bopolu City. The DHOs and DEOs are expected to lead the campaign in their respective districts.
“This program is intended to deworm actually our children from ages 0-5year so that our children to remind healthy in schools is better for our children to be health so that we can give them the opportunities to learn,” said Gbarpolu County CEO, Dawolo B.S Katakawa.
Speaking to LocalVoicesLiberia, the CEO said the exercise will cover about 27,000 children adding that the campaign will also provide drugs (menbendazole) for community children who are not going to school.
“We will also give this tablet to children who are not in school. This will help to reduce the reinfection of the school going children who are the primary target,” he added.
He continued: “Let the children take the drug, because if they take the drug it will make them healthy, it helps to make them active and cleaver in the learning process and the more the child is health the better the child learn faster in school.”
Why worm control in school?
School-age children have the highest intensity of worm infection of any age group, according to health experts. In addition, experts advice that the most cost-effective way to deliver deworming tablets regularly to children is through schools because schools offer a readily available, expensive and sustained infrastructure with skilled workforce that is in close contact with the community.
Worms, also known as intestinal helminthes, are parasites which live in human intestine for food and survival. These are scientifically known as ascaris, tapeworm, hookworm and bilharzia (schistosomiasis).
Health experts say there are three components of a control program that can interfere with the transmission cycle of the worm infections which include health education, sanitation and treatment.
Doctors have adviced that Regular treatment contributes to good health and nutrition for children of school-age, which in turn leads to increase enrolment, educational attainment and attendance as well as reduced class repetition.
The ongoing deworming campaign in Gbarpolu County activities are supported by the National School Based Deworming programme in collaboration with the MOE school division as well as the MOH and Global Partnership for Education (GPE)
.