Gov’t targets to deworm 5.5 million children.

It is as part of the ongoing 2024 National Deworming Campaign. 

The Permanent Secretary of the National Program to Combat Schistosomiasis and Intestinal Helminths, Prof Louis-Albert Tchuem, said the campaign was launched in October 2024.

He said it is carried out across seven regions viz Adamawa, East, Far North, Littoral, North, West, and South, with aim to administer children with medication that help fight intestinal worms. 

Prof Tchuem stated that these objectives are vital in combating two major parasitic infections intestinal worms and schistosomiasis which pose significant health risks to children, particularly in underserved and rural areas.

He noted that since the launch of the campaign, the outcome has been satisfactory but recent reports reveal that some children are expelling worms immediately after receiving treatment. This, he said underlines the campaign's importance and the severity of the public health challenge.

To Prof Tchuem, on December 5, 2024, during a deworming session at Awout Public School in Zoetélé in the South Region, a child who had just taken the prescribed medication expelled an intestinal worm within seconds. 

Similar incidents, he said, were observed in other localities, including the Bangué Health District in the Littoral and parts of the West Region.

In response, he noted that he had instructed regional focal points to document and report all such cases by locality, health area, and health district. 

The data collection, he said, aims to ensure a clearer understanding of the prevalence of intestinal worms and optimise future interventions.

The 2024 deworming campaign, it should be said, targets children through primary and secondary schools. It focuses not only on school-enrolled children but also on non-enrolled children of school age. 

Medications such as Mebendazole and Praziquantel are being administered to these children by a team of workers.

According to reports from the National Program to Combat Schistosomiasis and Intestinal Helminths, the campaign followed a sharp rise in reported cases of schistosomiasis also known as bilharzia in 2024. 

Between January and May 2024, health facilities across Cameroon recorded an unprecedented increase in both intestinal and urinary schistosomiasis cases. Surveillance data suggest that all regions are now experiencing high prevalence rates of the disease.

Schistosomiasis is particularly concerning because it primarily affects children. The disease, caused by parasitic worms, is often contracted through exposure to contaminated water during bathing, swimming, or walking barefoot near stagnant water bodies, poor sanitation and lack of clean water.

Intestinal worms, on the other hand, are closely linked to poor hygiene conditions, such as consuming unwashed fruits, drinking contaminated water, and inadequate hand washing practices.

According to health experts, the consequences include: Anemia, which can lead to fatigue and weakness; Stunted growth and physical development; Cognitive impairment, resulting in poor school performance and reduced intellectual development

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3325 of Thursday December 19, 2024