The Lagos State Government has commenced a free school-based mass deworming program across 10 endemic Local Government Areas, LGAs, in the State as part of a move to tackle Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis, STH.

Speaking during the flag-off of the exercise on Tuesday, at CMS Primary School, Bariga, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, announced that the campaign aimed to treat 1.4 million school-aged children between five and 14 years old, who are susceptible to parasitic worm infections in Lagos state.

The program is been implemented in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and a Non-governmental organization, Evidence Action.

Abayomi explained that the mass deworming exercise will be held in 10 soil-transmitted helminthiasis endemic local governments including Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin, Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Ojo and Shomolu.

The commissioner, who was represented by the Lagos State Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Coordinator, Modupe Dawodu, further disclosed that the exercise would run for five days, from Tuesday 21st to Saturday 25th November 2023.

Abayomi added that children, aged five and 14 years, in Schools and communities in the 10 LGAs will be dewormed and treated for soil-transmitted helminthiasis using Mebendazole Tablets (500mg) during the exercise.

According to the commissioner: “The Lagos State Ministry of Health is happy to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and Evidence Action to commence implementation of the school-based deworming exercise targeting children 5 to 14 years to treat soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) using Mebendazole; a medication used to treat infections caused by worms.

“This round of treatment will focus on 10 endemic LGAs – Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin, Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Ojo and Shomolu reaching approximately over 1.4 million at-risk children in public and private primary and junior secondary schools and the communities with safe and free medicines received from the Federal Ministry of Health through the World Health Organization drug donation program to be administered at no cost to eligible children.”

Abayomi noted, “School-based deworming is an important evidence-based strategy to treat children at risk of parasitic worm infections adding that teachers and community health workers have been trained to safely and effectively administer the medicines to the children.”