C'River to Deworm 750,000 Children

Bassey Inyang in Calabar

The Cross River State Government has said that over 750,000 children will be dewormed this week in a statewide exercise that will be conducted in schools across the three zones of the state.

According to the Coordinator, Neglected Tropical Diseases for Cross River State Ministry of Health, Mr. Thomas Igbang, the deworming, which will commence on May 31st, this year, and will be done in 12 out of the 18 local government areas of the state.

Igbang, who said this on Sunday in Calabar through a press statement, added that this year’s target is to treat 750,000 school children from age five to 14 years.

The statement disclosed that for the year 2016, the target was 700,000 children, but 87 per cent coverage was achieved.

“Following the first year of Cross River’s statewide school-based deworming programme in 2016, the state is moving to replicate this success, and surpass the coverage achieved last year,” he said.