The Kwali Area Council, in partnership with a pharmaceutical company, Biomedical Limited, has commenced mass deworming exercises for no fewer than 16,800 pupils.
The exercise, which is targeted at children between the ages of two and five, will also be extended to 12 states of the federation, according to the sponsors.
At the flag-off of the programme in Kwali yesterday, the Marketing Manager of Biomedical, Watson Olojo said the deworming exercise was designed to mark the 40th anniversary of the firm.
He said the objective was to deworm children in order to provide nutrients that are required for their physical, mental growth and performance in schools.
Olojo said: “This programme is targeted for 16800 doses of anti-worm drugs in Kwali Area council. There is a particular age group that is being targeted and that is between two to five years of school-based pupils.
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“One of the things we really recognised for biomedical Limited is the fact that we have transformed from lifesavers to live in infancy companies and the school-based deworming is just one of them.
We have done some community-related programs to support feeding, to say and they are recognised as some of the most special festivals and moments.
“This is what we are going to be doing in 12 states and this is the fourth state we’re implementing. Our target for here is 16, 800 students.”
He further said the company was looking at 450,000 children across the 12 states.
The Etsu of Kwali, Alhaji Shaban Nizazo III, who was represented at the event by Chief Victor Obashono said the programme was a wonderful one that would go a long way in providing the necessary nutrients for the children.
While commending Biomedical for the gesture, he said: “It is going to improve the health status of children in the sense that health is wealth and a healthy child is going to produce a healthy knowledge so it is going to help them a lot.”
Representative of the FCT Primary Health Care, Aisha Bello commended Biomedical for keying into the programme to facilitate what the FCT was doing.