NNPC/Chevron JV launches de-worming campaign in Bayelsa

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC/Chevron Nigeria Limited Joint Venture in collaboration with Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative, WRAPA and GlaxoSmithKline, GSK, Limited, on Tuesday July 2, launched a massive free de-worming campaign to eliminate infecting worms among school children in Bayelsa State.

The General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Esimaje Brikinn, explained that the exercise was one of the initiatives through which the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture seeks to uplift the health situation of Nigerians, especially children, adding that it is part of several health intervention programmes undertaken by the Joint Venture aimed at building a healthy nation.

According to him, children between the ages of 6 and 12 will benefit from the exercise.

Our Bayelsa State Correspondent reports that Mr. Esimaje Brikinn who was represented by the Communications Coordinator of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kayode Adeboye, said the effect of worm infestation, especially on children of school age, has assumed alarming dimension that requires concerted effort from all stakeholders to fight the ailment.

He expressed optimism on the tremendous successes recorded with the Bayelsa State Government in health programmes which, no doubt, were because of NNPC/Chevron's collective commitment to improving healthcare delivery and by extension the quality of the people in the State as well as the Niger Delta at large.

It will recalled that Chevron in collaboration with PACT and Bayelsa State Government sponsored a US$5.3 million Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PROMOT) programme between 2012 and 2018 under the leadership of Hon. Seriake Dickson.

Mr. Brikinn said the programme has helped in the reduction of HIV prevalence rate.

He noted that over 70 million preschool-age children and over 600 million school-age children live in areas where these parasites are intensively transmitted and are in dire need of treatment and preventive interventions.

While noting that the parasitic infections can prevent children from achieving their full potentials, the Chevron PGPA Boss stressed that there was also health education aspect to ensure that children are taught how to avoid re-infection through personal hygiene.

While thanking the Bayelsa State Government under the leadership of Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson for the partnership and support rendered so far, Mr. Brikinn expressed optimism that the programme would add significant value to the lives of children in the state.

In his remarks, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Jonathan Robinson Ogbobite, represented by the Director of Primary and Teacher Education at the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Hannah Amasuoma, expressed appreciation to the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture for the exercise.

While appealing for continuation of the good gesture to ensure economic development of Bayelsa State and Nigeria at large, Mr. Ogbobite described the programme as laudable.

The Director of Yenagoa Local Government Primary Health Care Authority, Mr. Robert Derek said de-worming the children will go a long way in improving the nutritional status of children, because worms that are supposed to compete with food nutrients are in them would now be eliminated.

Fresh Angle International can report that pupils from about 20 primary schools participated in the flag-off exercise, which also witnessed cultural dance by Winners International Academy, Agudama-Epie, Bayelsa.

A cross section of benefiting pupils alongside their teachers

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