NNPC / Chevron to deworm 60,000 pupils in Ondo

AS part of an effort to sustain good health in its immediate environment and as part of its corporate social responsibilities, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in collaboration with Chevron Nigerian limited will have launched the mass deworming of over 60,000 primary school pupils across three local government areas in Ondo state.

Speaking during the flag off exercise, the General Manager, Policy and Public Affairs, Esimaje Brikinn, said the three areas to be covered include ldanre, Okitipupa and Owo, saying the gesture was to uplift the health and development of the children.

According to Brikinn who was represented by the Director of Government Affairs, Mr Gbenga Aluko, noted that over 270million preschool age children and over 600million school-age children live in areas where parasites are intensively transmitted and are in need of treatment and preventive intervention.

He, however, said that the de-worming exercise became necessary in order to curb the alarming rate of the effect worm’s infestation among school children which has assumed an alarming dimension.

He said the parasitic infections could prevent children from achieving their potentials, stressing the need for treatment and prevention of the worms in school children.

He said that the joint venture decided to embark on the deworming programme for children below the age of 12 years as the ailment has assumed an alarming dimension which required a concerted effort from all relevant stakeholders.

“In this programme, the target children would be given safe and effective medicines produced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Limited to eliminate infecting worms while there is also a health education aspect to ensure that children are taught how to avoid re-infection through personal hygiene.

He said no fewer than 80,000 school pupils were de-wormed in 2013 during the first phase which took place in Akure North, Akure South and llaje council areas of the state.

He said that the de-worming exercise is part of the several health intervention programmes undertaken by the joint venture to contribute to the ongoing efforts at building a healthy nation.

He disclosed that Chevron had been using the strategic investment of the joint venture to add values to the life of the people in the country mostly in the war against the spread of HIV/ AIDS.

“For example, in helping to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, we directed $5 million of the $30 million we contributed to the Global Fund.

“In 2008, to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of AIDS in support of AIDS treatment programs.

“In 2015, Chevron committed an additional $5 million to Nigeria through the Global Fund to support prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV”, he added.

The wife of the state governor, Mrs Betty Akeredolu, while commending NNPC/Chevron on the initiative, said that the deworming exercise would help grow the health status of the school children and solicited for the proper hygienic environment among the people.

Mrs Akeredolu who commended the contributions of the joint partner venture (NNPC/Chevron) to the development of the health sector in the state, also called parents to monitor the hygiene of their wards

She, however, called for more collaboration between the government and the private sector in the area of qualitative health care delivery and basic hygiene of children in the state.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Education in the state, Mr Femi Agagu, said the deworming exercise would go a long way to help the children to develop well and boost their learning capabilities.

“This great intervention from NNPC/ Chevron Joint Venture will give each of these pupils the opportunity of a good future because the future of a child depends on sound health and education,” Agagu said

Also, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro, noted that worm infestation was a leading cause of ill health among school-age children in most of the developing countries and called for periodic de-worming of the pupils every three months to improve their health and growth.