Female students who benefited from the deworming programme.
Cecilia Onah, Lafia
As parts of efforts to combat soil helminths infection which is prominent in most parts of the northern Nigeria, the Nasarawa State government in collaboration with a Non-governmental Organization, Thrive Together Women Empowerment Initiative, has commenced the deworming of no fewer than 5,000 young girls in the state.
The Chief Executive Officer of TTWEI, Nancy Nwamaka Abbah, made the disclosure in Lafia while flagging off the deworming exercise at the Lafia Special School on Friday.
She explained that the NGO decided to focus on the girl child because they were the most vulnerable in the society.
Abbah said, “Today, we started with the Lafia Special School where we dewormed 21 girls, and 473 girls of Kadarko Pilot primary school in Keana Local Government Area with Albendazo.
“We decided to deworm over five thousand girl child with the aim to fighting Helminths infection that is mostly common in the northern Nigeria.
“This is because the strength of any family, society and nation is the women. When a girl is empowered and equiped the society gets better and a healthy nation is guaranteed.”
On his part, the Technical Director of the outreach, Toba Oriyomi stated that the exercise comprised of sensitisation, health talks and special gifts such as text books, writing materials, among others.
The Resource Person and representative of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Blessing Abel, while sensitizing the young girls on personal hygiene, noted that poor hygiene practice among girls was mostly responsible for diseases and infections.
She, therefore, cautioned the girls to take their personal and environmental hygiene very seriously in order to guarantee a healthy future.
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On his part, the Head Teacher of the Pilot Primary School, Kadarko, Akpa Gideon, commended the leadership of the TTWEI for choosing the school as a venue for the exercise, and promised to continue to protect young females in the school from every forms of challenges.
Earlier in his speech, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Gwamna Gaza who was represented by Esther Yosi, commended the TTWEI for partnering with the state government to empower and carry out the deworming exercise in the state.
He appealed to both the private and public sectors of the state to support and ensure that all hands are on deck to promote the safety and healthy living of the girl child.
