Gwollu: The Millennium Child Support Group (MCSG), with financial backing from the Spanish Cooperation through the ECOWAS Commission’s Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF), has conducted a deworming exercise aimed at enhancing child health and nutrition in Northern Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, the intervention benefitted more than 420 pupils at Muftul Ulum and Nuriah English and Arabic Schools in Gwollu, as part of the ongoing School Feeding and Child Nutrition Improvement Initiative. This effort is projected to reach at least 1,600 schoolchildren across eight basic schools in the Sissala West, Jirapa, Lawra, and Nandom Municipalities.
The initiative aims to reduce malnutrition, prevent parasitic infections, and improve cognitive development, along with sustaining high attendance and enrolment rates in beneficiary schools. The Sissala West District Health Directorate spearheaded the deworming exercise, alongside community sensitisation sessions that targeted parents and caregivers on nutrition, sanitation, personal hygiene, and child healthcare practices.
Dr. Godfrey Ato Parker, the Chief Executive Officer of MCSG, addressed the participants and stated that the deworming exercise would occur every three months throughout the project lifecycle from 2024 to 2027. He highlighted the significance of maintaining child health for improving learning performance, school retention, and long-term development outcomes. Dr. Parker further encouraged parents to maintain regular deworming at home and adopt proper sanitation practices to safeguard their children’s health.
Mr. Chakurah Dramani, the Sissala West District Director of Education, expressed gratitude to ECOWAS, RAAF, the Spanish Cooperation, and MCSG for their continuous investment in the welfare of schoolchildren. He emphasized the importance of deworming in enhancing concentration, physical growth, cognitive performance, and learning outcomes. Mr. Dramani noted that with improved feeding, access to clean water, and deworming, the foundation for quality education is being strengthened.
Mr. Yakubu Benin, the Acting Sissala West District Director of Health Services, commended the partnership for advancing public health priorities in schools. He urged families to ensure consistent hygiene behaviour, including handwashing with soap under running water, safe water consumption, and the use of toilet facilities to prevent sanitation-related infections. He advised parents and guardians to be proactive in protecting their children from preventable diseases.
This deworming activity forms a crucial part of the broader school feeding programme, aimed at contributing to higher enrolment, improving student attendance, and ensuring greater classroom participation in the targeted districts. It further reinforces ECOWAS Commission and MCSG’s joint mission to strengthen child health, nutrition, and educational success across West Africa.