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Let’s support ongoing national deworming exercise

Children are extremely vulnerable to worm infections due to their underdeveloped immune system.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) explains that untreated worm infections prevent children’s healthy growth, cause poor nutrition and reduce their capacity to concentrate and learn.

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The WHO estimates that nearly one in four of the world’s population or over 1.5 billion people globally are infested with intestinal worms, with more than 880 million children of school age requiring attention.

In Ghana, according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), schistosomiasis, which is a disease caused by parasitic worms that live in freshwater, has an estimated country-wide prevalence of 23.3 per cent, with localised prevalence levels exceeding 50 per cent.

These infestations, the GHS said, were typically transmitted through contact with contaminated soil or water and tended to affect school-age children most severely due to their underdeveloped immune systems.

Additionally, it said, children in schools and playgrounds were often in close contact, increasing the likelihood of transmission of intestinal worms.

Deworming the children, therefore, not only protects them against parasite infections but also unlocks their full potential for growth in learning, play and overall well-being.

This is why the ongoing deworming exercise that is being embarked on by the GHS and the Ghana Education Service (GES) is very important and all parents are encouraged to allow their children to participate in it.

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Dubbed the 2024 National School and Community Deworming Exercise, it is targeting over two million school-age children between five and 14 years and is aimed at eliminating schistosomiasis and control Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infestations.

The GHS says during the seven-day exercise which began on Monday, October 28, and is expected to end on Sunday, November 3, the eligible children would be administered praziquantel (600mg) and albendazole (400mg) under strict supervision of selected trained school teachers and health workers.

The elimination of schistosomiasis and control soil-transmitted helminthiasis is based on large-scale treatment of at-risk population groups, access to safe water, improved sanitation, hygiene education, behaviour change, snail control and environmental management.

The GHS has identified school-based deworming as a cost-effective approach that leverages existing school structures such as teachers being trained to administer anthelminthic medicines to eligible children.

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This is not the first time the GHS is embarking on such an exercise, it does it every year and the results have proved positive.

Eliminating schistosomiasis and controlling the infections in Ghana is very important as it would help improve the overall health and well-being of the population, especially children.

That is why it is important that everybody lends his or her support to this exercise in order for it to achieve its targeted results.

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For instance, the GHS has stressed the need for all children to eat before taking the medicines as that would help in the absorption and effectiveness of the medication, adding that preferably medicines should be administered immediately after the first break or after children had been served food by the feeding programme to ensure that all children have eaten.

All parents, guardians and caregivers owe it a responsibility to ensure that their children eat before going to school. They can also package some food for them where they are unable to eat at home.

The Daily Graphic lends its support to the call by the GHS for all schools, both private and public, parents regardless of their social status, gender or religion to cooperate and support the deworming exercise in the targeted districts and schools to improve coverage and help eliminate schistosomiasis and STH.

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There have been instances that due to misconceptions some parents and religious bodies have about such exercises, they refuse to allow their children to participate in them. When this happens, it affects the country’s health targets.

Thankfully, the GHS has indicated that for this particular exercise, the medicines were donated to them through the WHO, as such we are sure of their safety.

The Daily Graphic further urges all schools, parents and caregivers to cooperate and support the exercise in the targeted districts and schools in order to improve coverage and eliminate schistosomiasis and STH in children.

Let us all help to protect the future of children now by getting them to participate in some of these exercises, for ultimately the country will have children who will grow into healthy and productive adults.

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