Ebonyi Trains 687 School Teachers Against Epidemic, Treats 435,676 Children

The Ebonyi State Ministry of Health in collaboration with The Carter Centre, (TCC) has trained 687 school teachers and treated over 435, 676 school age children with Prazinquatel in 687 schools across seven local government areas of the state. Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezuruike while addressing journalists on the outcome of the committee report following the allegation of severe adverse events and cases of deaths following mass administration of Prazeinquantel to pupils and students of Ginger International school, Abakaliki, said the ministry had acted in accordance with the mission of The Carter Center to end Schistomiasis. He said the drug administration for the control of Schistomiasis and other neglected tropical diseases started in 2014 in most states of the federation following result of endemicity survey carried out in 2013 in which Ebonyi state is endemic to four diseases including Schistomiasis, Helmininthasis, Lymphatic Filariasis and soil-transmitted Helminthiasis. He said that seven local government areas in Ebonyi state have been covered by the administration of the drugs to checkmate the endemic nature of the council areas to these dangerous tropical neglected diseases. Dr. Umezuruike said that a total of 203 schools in Ezza South and Ivo local government areas respectively have been completed in the treatment of the Schistomiasis without any report of adverse events in the year 2016. "In 2016, treatment with Prazinquatel has been completed in 136 and 67 schools in Ezza South and Ivo local government areas respectively without any report of adverse event, (SAEs) as usual. Treatment of school age children with Prazinquatel was ongoing in the 128 schools in Abakaliki council area during which I wide spread rumour and false allegation of (SAEs) and deaths erupted from Ginger International School, Abakalaiki" The Commissioner further described as false the rumoured deaths and adverse events arising from the administration of the drugs on the pupils and students of the Ginger International School, Abakaliki, adding that what happened was a normal reaction of the drugs on the students as a result of their inability to eat at the point of administration of the drugs. He said that when the news came into town, the ministry immediately swung into action and visited the emergency pediatrics unit of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki where the students were allegedly rushed to only to see the students on their feet discussing and openly confessing that they feigned the sickness. He commended Cater Center for their commitment in ensuring that Ebonyi records success in eliminating epidemic and called on parents in th state to always present their children for drug administration.