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| (Photo Credit: theghanareport.com) |
The 2023 National School and Community Mass Drug Administration exercise has been launched by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) with the aim of deworming about 3.2 million school-age children nationwide. The major exercise which commenced on Monday, November 13, 2023, aims to eradicate infestations of transmitted helminths and schistosomiasis, which have regrettably become endemic in many parts of the nation. It is projected that the exercise will end on November 17, 2023.
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This initiative's main goal is to address the high incidence of soil-transmitted helminth infections and schistosomiasis among Ghanaian school-age children. Children enrolled in 15,573 schools spread over 116 districts in 15 regions—with the exception of the North East region—are included in the targeted population.
The exercise is operating under the theme “Achieving Health Equity to Eliminate Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infection,” emphasizing the commitment to achieving equal access to healthcare and eliminating these pervasive parasitic infections.
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Dr. Anthony Adofo Ofosu, the Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, emphasized the critical significance of this exercise. He highlighted that school-aged children are among the most susceptible demographic to parasitic infections and stressed that mass drug administration is the most cost-effective approach to delivering regular deworming medication to children on a large scale.
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Addressing Schistosomiasis
To put the situation into perspective, Schistosomiasis, a debilitating parasitic worm infestation, currently affects nearly one million individuals in Ghana, with the highest prevalence recorded in areas surrounding substantial bodies of water.
Global Context
It's important to recognize that deworming is the administration of anthelmintic medicines to eligible populations to eliminate helminth parasites such as tape and roundworms, schistosomes, among others. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 1.5 billion people, or close to a quarter of the world’s population, are infected globally with intestinal worms, with over 880 million school-aged children in need of treatment.
Medication Administration
Dr. Franklyn Asiedu-Bekoe, the Director of the Public Health Division at GHS, shared insights into the medication administration process. He revealed that Praziquantel (600mg) and Albendazole (400mg) dosages would be administered to each child based on their height. This process is to be conducted under the close supervision of teachers and health workers.
Call to Action
Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe emphasized the importance of the exercise's collaboration with various stakeholders. He called upon parents, guardians, and caregivers to ensure that their children have had a meal before attending school. Furthermore, he urged both public and private schools, as well as parents from diverse social, economic, and religious backgrounds, to unite and support the deworming initiative within the targeted districts and schools, ultimately striving to improve coverage and eliminate parasitic infections in Ghana.
He also provided assurance that the medications being administered are safe for use and are associated with minimal discomfort.
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