By JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

For most parents, the mass de-worming exercise embarked upon by the Lagos State Government recently must have been a great respite as most children would  run away upon sighting a worm expeller!

An estimated 5,000 pupils from eight nursery and primary schools in Kosofe Local Government Area of the state converged at the Maryland School Complex to gain knowledge about their health and well-being from the Health-Teacher-of-the-Day, Hon. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, who doubles as the state Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation.

“Science has affirmed that children not protected against worms usually suffer from diarrhoea, anaemia, low immunity against diseases and other life-threatening diseases, and this worm expeller brought here today has been proven for its efficacy in the treatment of a wide range of worm infections. The government has continued to perform de-worming exercise in view of its importance to the health and proper living of children, who are the bedrock of development,” she counselled.

By the time the counselling was over, every single child in the gathering was in a hurry to receive a dose of the expeller which according to her, was being administered simultaneously in the 57 local government and local council development areas of the state! Hon. Adefulire said the 11-year-old exercise was part of  government’s efforts at improving the health and academic standard of the students.

The exercise was declared open by First Lady of the State, Dame Abimbola Fashola.