At least 150,000 children below five years in Makueni County will benefit from the deworming programme under Malezi Bora initiative by the national and county governments.
The programme aims at improving the utilisation and delivery of routine health nutrition services which will take place between November 10 to 18, in all the 238 health facilities in the County.
The announcement was made on Thursday by area governor’s wife Anita Mutula at Unoa Primary School, when she launched the programme officially and 121 children from the institution were dewormed.
“The programme will help the children to concentrate and improve their performance in schools due to the nutrition services,” said the governor’s wife.
She said the initiative targets Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) for children in private and public institutions in the county.
Makueni Nutrition Unit Head Ruth Kaloki said that the children will be administered with vitamin A supplementation, deworming and increasing awareness of mother, new-born and child health services to caregivers in the county as well as the general population.
She also disclosed that routine immunisation, screening for acute malnutrition and treatment of sick children will be done during the period under review. In all the health facilities in the county.
Malezi Bora programme, is a bi-annual initiative implemented nationally and it aims at accelerating the utilisation of maternal and child health and nutrition services offered in county health facilities.
She was accompanied by Executive Committee Members of Health Dr Paul Masila and his counterpart of Education Elizabeth Muli among other health officials.
By Patrick Nyakundi