The Kwara State government in its strive to improve the health of its citizens has flagged off a mass deworming of school children across all public owned primary schools in the state on Wednesday.
The initiative was done in collaboration with Nigeria’s pioneer manufacturers of intravenous fluids in Nigeria, Biomedical Limited in the presence of students from several primary schools and the press.
Representing the state government, the Deputy Governor, Mr. Kayode Alabi noted that Kwara State government is committed to the well-being of its people, especially the school children.
He also commended the Biomedical pharmaceutical company for contributing their quota to the well-being of the state, saying that, ” this is a commendable effort by Biomedical limited, I salute them for this, this will also help to augment the state government’s effort towards improvement of the people especially the school children.”
The Marketing Manager of Biomedical limited, Pharm.Watson Olojo extolled the state government for its job in improving the health sector, adding that his company’s gesture is their corporate social responsibility and a way of contributing their quota to the state.
“We’re committed to the well-being of the children especially tackling the problems of malnutrition which is often caused by worms, as a matter of fact, this is our own corporate social responsibility and contributing out quota to the state.” the pharmacist said.
Dr.Nusirat Elelu, the Executive Secretary of Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, while speaking at the flag off ,revealed that the deworming was targeted at tackling malnutrition which is often caused by excess worm, urging that children should be dewormed every six months.
“You’re all aware of the school feeding programme where our children have access to nutritious component because worms also lead to malnutrition in children and for Kwara State we also have a programme geared towards providing nutrition programme to support children that are under five years of age.
“It is very important that deworming happens every six months, we have an ongoing nutrition programme for deworming in our primary healthcare system, last year alone 22,500 children were targeted and the target was met and surpassed and for this year alone we’re going to see how we’re going to surpass the target.
“This is a school based event, as you can see, SUBEB is here so ,they’re partnering with us and we are utilizing senatorial District based distribution, Kwara South, Kwara Central and Kwara North as well and it will be equitable distribution, based on pupils enrolled in our SUBEB schools within the state, that will form the distribution plan for the 17,000 pupils. ” Elelu said.
Speaking on behalf of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, Mrs. Amudat Oluwakemi Alibaba thanked the kwara State government and the partners for their kind gesture and for considering the well-being of the children a priority.
Biomedical Limited, based in Kwara state, is a foremost pharmaceutical company not only in Nigeria as it is among the first indigenous company to produce intravenous medicine in west coast of Africa.
