WHO treats 2 million Nigerian children against parasitic worms
Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja
About 2 million Nigerian children have received treatment against parasitic worms, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
According to the WHO in a newsletter published on its website, the exercise was conducted across 27 LGs in Borno; 18 LGs in Adamawa and three LGs in Bauchi states.
The world health body revealed that the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) contributed in bringing the geographic coverage of treatment to 100 per cent in Adamawa, Borno and Bauchi states.
Speaking on behalf of the WHO Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Rex Mpazanje, said that the WHO had since the beginning of 2018 expanded its support to include, actual conducting of campaigns alongside implementing partner organizations.
“WHO’s work on schistosomiasis is part of an integrated approach to the control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Although medically diverse, neglected tropical diseases share features that allow them to persist in conditions of poverty, where they cluster and frequently overlap.
“WHO provides Praziquantel drugs for mass drug administration. As of the beginning of this year, 449 of the 583 endemic LGs had conducted at least one exercise, including 190 that carried out the exercise in 2018 alone.
“All children at risk are reached and provided a dose of Praziquantel during the campaigns. Capacities of health workers are built for the campaign as well as continued routine treatment,” the WHO representative stated.
Meanwhile, Rahab Haruna, a 45-year-old mother from Adamawa state whose child had Schistosomiasis said that she was helpless when her son had blood in his urine for almost a year.
“My son had blood in his urine for almost a year and I didn’t know what to do.
I went to several pharmacies and explained the symptoms to no avail. When we went to hospital, he was diagnosed with Schistosomiasis. We were also told the drugs to treat the disease were scarce and we were given alternatives that did not work.
“I can’t wait to take this drug home to give to my son and his friends,” she exclaimed.
