ALERT! Intestinal Worms Ravage Children In Akwa Ibom Community

Residents of Udung Uko LGA of Akwa Ibom State are battling with intestinal worms which have infested a large population of children in the community.

A survey conducted by the Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with Helen Keller International indicated that more than 86 percent of children were infested.

Programme Coordinator of Neglected Tropical Diseases NTDs for HKI, Mr. Joseph Kumbur, said at a workshop for stakeholders and volunteers on mass drug administration in Uyo yesterday that children within the ages of 5 to 14 were mostly affected by the disease in the area and other parts of the state.

He said though most of the local councils in the state had a prevalence rate of more than 20 percent, the rate in Udung Uko remained pathetic due to poor sanitation in the area.

According to him, intestinal worms are prevalent among people living in places with poor sanitation, lack of good water supply, eating without washing hands and walking bare foot.