BENIN CITY: An NYSC member serving in Edo State, Monica Nku, has launched a health awareness campaign on deworming and personal hygiene for students of Anglican Girls Grammar School, Benin City.
Addressing the students on Wednesday, Nku said the sensitization was motivated by concern over the silent health burden posed by worm infections among children, noting that many school-aged pupils suffer from the condition without being aware.
The NYSC member, a graduate of Arts and Social Science Education from the University of Calabar, explained that worm infections often affect children’s health, growth and learning abilities.
“I carried out this project because I realised that many students suffer from worm infection without knowing it. This infection affects their health, growth and learning abilities,” she said.
According to her, symptoms such as weakness, stomach pain and loss of appetite could negatively impact students’ concentration and academic performance.
Nku also identified poor hygiene practices, including walking barefoot, improper handwashing and playing in dirty environments, as major factors increasing the spread of worms among children.
She said the project was designed to protect students’ health, reduce illness and help them live healthy and productive lives, adding that improved hygiene and regular deworming could boost school attendance and academic performance.
In her presentation, Mrs Faith Adegbemileke of the Edo State Ministry of Health stressed that personal hygiene remained fundamental to healthy living.
“Personal hygiene is the bedrock of healthy living. It is what you do to avoid landing in the hospital,” she said.
Adegbemileke cautioned against improper handwashing, explaining that washing hands in a bowl does not guarantee hygiene. She demonstrated proper handwashing techniques, urging students to wash thoroughly with soap and running water.
She noted that poor hygiene and contaminated food were common ways worms enter the body, describing worms as harmful parasites.
“Deworming should be done at least twice a year, except in highly infested areas such as some rural communities,” she said, adding that deworming services were available free at public health facilities.
President of the Florish Foundation for Women and Youth, Dr Frances Ben-Ushie, described the initiative as timely and impactful, particularly for young girls. Represented by the foundation’s Director of New Media and Communication, Esther Adesuyi, she commended Nku for translating knowledge into action.
She said health education on deworming and personal hygiene remained critical to the well-being, learning capacity and overall development of children and young people.
Also speaking, Mrs Theresa Ayanru, Local Government Inspector of the NYSC for Oredo, urged the students to put the lessons into practice and adopt healthy habits that would support their growth and future aspirations.
