It’s almost 7am in Mtomondoni Primary School, Kilifi County
and the place is abuzz with activities. Students look excited and teachers can
be seen co-ordinating a few activities to make sure everything runs smoothly. A
few officers from the ministry of public health and sanitation are unpacking
their medical supplies. It is a deworming day in the public primary school.
The Ministry of Education has come together with the Ministry
of Public Health and Sanitation to come up with a project to deworm school going
children. According to the deworm the world website cases of absenteeism are reported where 1 in 4
students aged 2-14 miss school because of the adverse effects caused by worms.
Joseph Kimwele the provincial director of Public Health and
Sanitation,Coast Province explains why the two ministries came together for
this venture, ’Worms mainly affect school going kids and they are under the
ministry of education. We supply the drugs because that is one of our primary
roles. Government policies also encourage ministries to come together for
particular projects.’
Dr. Charles Mwandawiro, Assistant Director Kenya Medical Research Institute KEMRI says children
are more vulnerable to catching worms because they often eat sand when playing.
‘’They are also more susceptible to get worm infections in case the schools
they attend do not have toilets and latrines. 5 million children are infected
by worms countrywide and at the coast the
figures have reached 600,000.’’
“During a deworming day all pupils are given a dose of
deworming pills. Teachers will administer the drugs to the pupils. We also
advised parents to make sure the children have had some breakfast so that they
do not experience side effects of the medicine. However the side effects are
very minimal and include a mild stomachache,’’ adds Kimwele.
‘Teachers will
administer the drugs since the schools they have to attend to are very many,
hence the ministry of public health and sanitation officers will not be able to
cover all schools if they do not delegate this duty to teachers. The health
officers have trained the teachers on how to give the medicine to the pupils. The
teacher student relationship is very good .Teachers are very good in
demonstrating and it will help the children understand how to take the drugs
easier. During the assembly I also demonstrated on how to take the pills,’ says
the headmistress of Mtomondoni Primary School, Margaret Baya.
Anthony Kalenga, a standard 6 pupil from the school
expressed excitement saying that the project would help reduce absenteeism in
his school. He adds that the project would help to improve health standards
amongst his fellow pupils.
