Schools de-worming exercise to go ahead in the Volta region

Ho, Feb. 13, GNA - The schools de-worming exercise, which suffered a jolt in the Volta Region on Monday following rumours of deaths among pupils, is to go ahead as planned.

Mr Kofi Dzamesi, the Volta Regional Minister, told a press conference in Ho on Tuesday that investigations did not provide any evidence of death among pupils in the region as a result of the de-worming exercise. This was corroborated by Mr Kwasi Hobenu, Volta Regional Director of Education, who said he was out monitoring the exercise in the south of the region on Monday.

Mr Dzamesi therefore directed heads of first cycle schools in the region to go ahead with the exercise and for District Directors of Education, Health and District Chief Executives to monitor the situation and organize public education to underline the importance of the exercise and allay the fears of parents.

Mr Dzamesi alleged that indications were that the hoax was hatched and planned in Keta as part of a bigger plan by some activists of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Members of Parliament and some chiefs in the area to undermine the peace in the Volta Region. He said the allegation would be thoroughly investigated and the culprits brought to justice.

Mr Dzamesi said similar propaganda was applied to undermine the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) that has nevertheless become popular in the region.

He assured parents that the exercise was nationwide and supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Dr Mark Young, UNICEF, Head of Health/ Nutrition section of UNICEF in Ghana, said the drug being used in the exercise was purchased from WHO approved sources with good manufacturing practices and that the samples of the drug were tested before being shipped into the country. He said the drug was the safest with minimal reactions of less than one percent in the form of nausea and dizziness.

Dr Young said the de-worming exercise was meant to improve the health of the pupils, enhance their academic performance and deal with absenteeism from school due to infestation related health problems. Dr Femi Eyewole, WHO Representative in Ghana, said the de-worming exercise in the region was not limited to the Volta Region and Ghana but fits into a global perspective especially developing countries. He said the drug being used would not have found its way into the country unless the WHO had found it to be safe.

He said an exercise to eradicate measles in the country faced similar problems due to rumours but Ghana has become a success story and for the last three years no child had died of measles in the country. Dr Eyewole appealed to the media to establish desks to deal professionally with sensitive issues that have the potential to cause chaos and dislocation in the country if wrongly handled. Madam Cynthia Bosumtwi-Sam, National Co-ordinator of School Health Education Programme, said the exercise was the result of a thorough work involving various professional stakeholders.

Dr Andrew Arde-Acquah, the Volta Regional Director of Health, said the Ghana Health Service was involved in training teachers to administer the drug to the pupils and also monitored the administration. He said the de-wormer being used in the exercise could cause dizziness and nausea if taken on empty stomach. 13 Feb 07