More than 10,000 children benefited from a free mass deworming programme sponsored by a member of the Benue State House of Assembly representing Gboko East constituency, Hon. Beckie Orpin.
The lawmaker who flagged off the free deworming exercise in three Council Wards of Ipav, Mbayion and Yandev stressed the need for leaders in the country to prioritize the well being of children.
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According to her, “Many children have suffered impediments to their growth with several factors accounting for why they cannot fully develop.”
Mrs. Orpin, who is the House Committee Chairman on Appropriation explained that the programme was one of the modest ways of responding to the health and developmental needs of children within her constituency.
“It is our hope that every child grows and lives his full potential but depriving infants and young children of basic health care and denying them the nutrients needed for growth and development sets them up to fail in life.”
Orpin stressed that, “ When children are well nurished and cared for and provided with a safe and stimulating environment, they are more likely to survive, to have less disease and fewer illnesses.”
The free deworming programme she said was carried out in partnership with the management of Tyonex Nigeria Limited, a famous pharmaceutical company managed by Dr. Emmanuel Tyovenda Agba.
The lawmaker promised to seek more partnership with other similar organizations to improve the health needs of children in the area, noting that the children who were dewormed ranged between the ages of 2 and 12 years.
On his part, the Managing Director of Tyonex Nigeria Limited, Dr. Emmanuel Agba disclosed that over 1.5 billion children were currently suffering from deworming related conditions worldwide, stressing that children that are properly dewormed usually grow up to have sound health systems and perform better at school.
The traditional ruler of the area, Chief Joseph Ikpaahula, commended Hon. Orpin for the initiative by considering the health challenge of the children whom he described as leaders of tomorrow.
Chief Ikpaahula who encouraged Hon. Orpin to do more, saluted the awareness of parents towards immunization of their children against diseases like polio and measles, a development he said has gone a long way in eradicating deadly diseases in the society.
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