Deworming Programme: Ministry Of Health Warns Against Diversion Of Drugs

The Federal Ministry of Health has warned against diversion of drugs meant for deworming of school children to curtail the spread of schistosomiasis in the FCT.

Dr Obiageli Nebe, Director and Programme Manager, National Deworming Programme, issued the warning during the FCT 2022 Annual School Deworming Exercise on Tuesday in Abuja.

Nebe said the drugs was for the treatment of schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms that lives in fresh water.

She added that the disease was endemic in the FCT, with Gwagwalada Area Council having the highest burden.

The Programme Manager, therefore, stressed the need for traditional, religious and School Based Management Committee (SBMC) to encourage children to receive the drugs and monitor the dispensing against diversion.

She also tasked the stakeholders to ensure they monitor the national school feeding projects and ensure the vendors deliver quality and good food for the children.

On his part, Dr Johnson Onyemah, Consultant on School Feeding, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, said over 54,000 schools nationwide were participating in the programme.

Dr Sadiq Abdrahman, Director, Public Health Department, said the meeting was to solicit support, collaboration and active participation of stakeholders to ensure success of the exercise.

Abdrahman, represented by Dr Eunice Ogundipe, Head of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Unit in the department, therefore encouraged participants to ensure the drugs gets to the targeted persons.

Also speaking, Dr Ibrahim Yusuf, Chairman of SBMC in the FCT, stressed the need for collaboration with traditional leaders to ensure success of the exercise.