Centre Region: Over one million kids to be dewormed in 2024.

The campaign targets children aged five to 14 across schools in the Centre Region. They will receive Praziquentel tablets to combat schistosomiasis or Bilharzia and Mebendazole tablets to combat intestinal Helminthiasis or intestinal worms. 

According to the Centre Regional Delegate of Public Health, Dr Azoumbou Mefant Thérèse, the purpose of the briefing was to equip media professionals with information on the harmful effects of these diseases, which are seriously damaging to children's health.

 “The aim of the campaign is to de-worm 1.53 million children aged between five and 14 in the Centre Region. We want the media practitioners to be able to communicate about the risks associated with schistosomiasis and intestinal helminthiasis. We want you to be able to communicate the risks of schistosomiasis to a parent,” she said.

She equally advised that to avoid being infested, children should always wear shoes, wash hands before eating, wash fruits and vegetables before eating them, do not bathe in contaminated waterways, get dewormed every six months, and seek medical attention in case of contamination.

According to Dr Azoumbou, there is equally need to educate and raise awareness among the population, and promote hygiene and environmental sanitation so as to better fight the diseases.

According to Denis Bonguen Ngara, a public health expert and regional coordinator of the programme to combat neglected tropical diseases, schistosomiasis is transmitted via their eggs, which are excreted in human faeces and urine, contaminating water sources in areas without adequate sanitation. 

Intestinal worms and bilharzias, he explained, primarily affect school-age children aged between five and 14. 

This group of children, Denis Bonguen said, form the vulnerable group and is most affected by these infections. The damage caused, he explained, is numerous, including stunted growth, reduced cognitive development, anaemia and an increased risk of infection by other germs.

These diseases, according to the health official, have a number of consequences for the nutritional status of those affected. Among them, he cited loss of iron and protein, poor absorption of nutrients, including vitamin A, loss of appetite, reduced nutritional intake and physical fitness.

He equally added that the disease equally causes disorders and these have a major impact on a child's growth, development and performance at school. 

“The fight against these diseases consists of periodically administering a mass treatment to these children at risk living in endemic areas. This mass treatment should be administered once a year when the prevalence of geohelminthiasis in a community is between 20% and 49%, and twice a year when it is greater than or equal to 50%,” Denis Bonguen stated.