According to WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) preventive chemotherapy (deworming), using annual or bi-annual single-dose albendazole (400 mg) or mebendazole (500 mg) is recommended as a public health intervention for all young children 12–23 months of age, preschool children 1–4 years of age and school-age children 5–12 years of age (in some settings up to 14 years of age), living in areas where the baseline prevalence of any soil-transmitted infection is 20% or more among children, in order to reduce the worm burden of soil-transmitted helminth infection.

In Akwa Ibom State, more than forty-eight thousand (48,000) Children have been dewormed in the last five years by Family Empowerment And Youth Reorientation Path Initiative (FEYReP). The exercise which happened in phases cut across the three senatorial districts of Akwa Ibom State.

The deworming exercises organized by the Family Empowerment and Youth Reorientation Programme (FEYReP) was done in partnership with Pharmaceutical Companies like, Neimeth Pharmaceuticals Plc and Emzor Pharmaceuticals Plc. In one of the deworming outings in Eket Senatorial District by the team of FEYReP and partners, the Coordinator of FEYReP, Mrs. Ime Inyang who was represented by Pastor Utibe Abasi Eno John said FEYReP is committed to ensuring that Akwa Ibom children are free from worm infections. She added that health is wealth and advised children to wash their hands after defecating, wash their fruits, and clean their environment.

In their separate remarks, Mr. Frank Archibong, the Transition Chairman of Eket Local Government, Mrs. Nelly Ukpong, Wife of the Commissioner for Health, Mrs. Mandu Abia, Wife of the Paramount Ruler of Eket, all thanked FEYReP and it’s partners for the humanitarian gesture, noting that barely some weeks back, FEYReP in partnership with MTN Foundation also rendered free eye services to Akwa Ibom people.