Ekiti State First Lady, Mrs Bisi Fayemi, has call on parents to ensure that their children are properly de-wormed according to medical prescriptions, in order to prevent diseases associated with worms’ ingestions.

She made the call in Ado-Ekiti, during the flag-off of mass de-worming of school’s children in the state.

Mrs Fayemi while noting that diseases associated with worm infections are particularly more prevalent in places where sanitation is inadequate and water supply is poor, advised residents to ensure they have a well-sanitised environment and use clean waters.

According to her, 24 per cent of the world’s population is infected with soil-transmitted infectious diseases, particularly among the school children.

She said: “The symptoms of soil-transmitted infestation include intestinal manifestation (diarrhoea and abdominal pains), general malaise and weakness of the body, impaired cognitive and physical development, anaemia and others. Worms infection includes blood in urine, anaemia and cancer of the bladder. All the common worms in school-age children can be treated effectively with pills.

“It is in light of this that the Ekiti State Government has embarked on a mass de-worming campaign to treat school children, age 4-15 years in Ekiti State as part of Dr Kayode Fayemi’s commitment to the health and well-being of the citizens.”

Senior State Health Technical Facilitator at UNICEF, Mr Yaya Oloriegbe said that the second vaccine is for strong immunity, urging parents to ensure that their children are properly vaccinated.