Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Programme

To improve health, nutritional and psychosocial status as well as the academic performance of School Age Children in endemic districts. These are the objectives below:

1. To reduce infection and morbidity due to worm infestation in children
2. To reduce the incidence of worm infestation in children

• Promote good health and general well-being of the children will lead to:

1. Reduce absenteeism in school.
2. Improves cognitive ability and intelligent quotient (IQ) of children

Train five (5) Health workers and Two Hundred and Twenty-Four (224) Teachers to facilitate in the distribution of Drugs (Prazequantel) to about 19661 school children across five Sub-district.

Stakeholders’ sensitization was key: Community Health Management Committees (CHMCs), usage of community information centres (CICs), Teachers and Circuit Supervisors.  Van announcement were also done alongside Radio talk and discussions at Dompeace Radio to create awareness and clear all myths.

 The District training was held at the Health Directorate on the 15^th November 2022 for all selected teachers facilitated by the District Director of Health Services and Education.

Participants were taken through various presentations on

1. STHs, Schistosomiasis, their life cycles, Female Genital Schistosomiasis.
2. Discussions were done on how to recognise the diseases by their signs and symptoms; diarrhoea, abdominal pain, general feeling of malaise, weakness, anaemia etc.

District level supervisors and Circuit supervisors monitored the exercise: logistics and any adverse event following the Drug administration. Their

1. Support and other motivation for Teachers like T-Shirts for easy identification
2. Adequate posters and other leaflets with information on the exercise to help in Social

The District will continue to empower Health staff and teachers to continue to sensitize students or pupils at all levels and the community at large to observe personal and environmental hygiene to promote health service delivery in order to reduce the incidence of NTDs in the district.

The campaign was successful as efforts and strategies put in yielded a positive outcome.

The district treated a total of 16,056 school age children (Males=8111, Females=7945)   81.66 % of population registered.