About 2.6 million school children are targeted for a nationwide deworming by Ghana Health Service (GHS) which began yesterday and expected to end on Sunday The exercise covers children between ages five and 14 years, aims at eliminating schistosomiasis and to control soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infestations in the country.
The medications which will be administered in both public and private schools in 100 districts in 15 regions, will also reach about 1.6 million out of school children and adults in 57 districts in 11 regions.
The Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, who disclosed these in Accra on Friday, said the exercise would be in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) to promote the health and immunity of school-aged children.
Eligible children, he said, would be administered with 600 and 400 miligrams of praziquantel and albendazole under the strict supervision of specially trained teachers and health workers.