Deworming of children has been identified as a major determinant of children’s growth and development. This was stated during the deworming exercise organized by Future Assured Programme and conducted at Babasidi and Shadawanka Primary schools in Bauchi metropolis. The exercise is part of Future Assured Programme’s health screening and awareness exercise at Bauchi Specialist Hospital, Bauchi, on Thursday 23rd November, 2017.
Founder of Future Assured and wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, speaking through the programme’s zonal coordinator for the North East, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, said intestinal worms are endemic in Nigeria and is an issue that is being neglected by parents.
“Worms can lead to malabsorption of nutrients and therefore worsen malnutrition. It can also affect school performance and cognitive development.” She further said.
“Over 2000 children from the two primary schools have been successfully dewormed and as part of oral hygiene awareness, each child is given a dental pack made up of toothpaste and toothbrush.”
She called on parents to deworm their children regularly and teach them oral hygiene.
At the Specialist Hospital, venue of the Health screening exercise, over 3000 men and women were screened for blood sugar, blood pressure and visual acuity, while children were dewormed.
Each patient is tested for vital signs and gets to see a doctor, who prescribes tests and drugs, which are administered. Some of the patients were referred to the Specialist hospital for further examination.
The exercise drew doctors, nurses, matrons, laboratory scientists, pharmacists and health information managers, and was organized in partnership with Cry for Help, an NGO and Wife of Bauchi State Governor, Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar.
