Rivers has highest worm prevalence in Nigeria – Official

Dr Promise Komene-Abanee, Coordinator, Neglected Tropical Diseases in Rivers, says the state has the highest rate of worm prevalence in Nigeria.
Komene-Abenee made the disclosure at a press briefing on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.
The coordinator said that the worm was prevalent in Abual/Odual, Ahoad, East, Andoni, Bonny, Emohua, Gokana, Khana, Omuoma and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas of the state.
He said that the school-based deworming of children from five to 14 years old would commenced on November 22 in all the local government areas.
Komene-Abenee said that deworming in the areas would be the second round in 2018 due to its high prevalence.
He said: “The local governments have a prevalence endemically rate for Soil Transmitted Helminthes of 50 per cent and above as stated by the World Health Organisation.
“The recommended medicines to be used are Albenedazole (400mg) and Mebenedazole (500mg).”
According to him, teachers will administer the medicines to school children, while health workers will administer to children at the health centres in a community where there are no schools.
The coordinator said that both the teachers and health workers had been trained for the exercise.
He said that once a child was dewormed and free, the child would relax, and be ready for learning.
The coordinator said that the exercise would cover children in public and private schools, as well as those who were out of school population.
Komene-Abenee listed the benefits of deworming to include helping growth, development and improve concentration capacity and attendance at school, among others.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the exercise is being sponsored by the state government through the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Health.