The NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture in collaboration with the Delta State Government and GlaxoSmithKline have flagged off its mass de-worming exercise in Delta State with the campaign targeting over 45,000 under-12 children in the state
At a ceremony held on Tuesday at the King George Centenary Hall, Warri, the wife of the Delta State Governor, Dame Edith Okowa commended Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) for its proactive social responsibility to de-worm a total of 45,000 children in Warri South Council Area of the state.She said the programme was a welcome complement to the comprehensive health programme of the Okowa led administration in the state.
Dame Okowa who was represented by wife of the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Mrs Tobore Oborevwori, commended Chevron for the exercise, appealing to Chevron to extend the exercise to other local government areas in the state.
She said, “Children are most vulnerable to worm infections, because their immuine system is not yet fully developed. If left untreated worm infections can hamper the growth of children, which also causes poor nutrition and reduces their capacity to concentrate in class.”She added that it is the responsibility of all to ensure that children are saved from the scourge of worm infestation.
“The present administration under the leadership of my dear husband, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa in his prosperity agenda is committed to the well-being of all Deltans and is ready to ensure that maternal and child mortality rates are reduced. I want to appeal to our dear parents to avail their children for this exercise.
“I will like to acknowledge Chevron and their partners for this programme. It is indeed a worthy cause to have worm free effective children. We want to appeal that this programme should be extended to other local government areas in the state for the benefit of our children,” the governors wife said.The General Manager, Policy Government and Public Affairs (PGPA), Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr Esimaje Brikinn, said according to World Health Organization (WHO) estimate, “more 1.5 billion people, or 24% of the world’s population, are infected with soil-transmitted helminth (parasitic worms) and worm infection worldwide.”
Brikinn who was represented by the Area Manager, Field Operations, PGPA, CNL, Mr Sam Daibo, said NNPC/Chevron JV decided to focus on deworming because the effect of worm infestation, especially on children of school age, have assumed an alarming dimension that it requires concerted effort by all stakeholders to fight the ailment.
“In this programme we will give safe and effective medicine produced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Limited., to the target children to remove infecting worms while we will also educate the children on how to avoid re-infection through personal hygiene,” Brikinn said.He said they are happy that the partnership with the Delta State Government as well as communities around their area of operations has led in the improvements in the people’s quality of life through their investments in Education, Health, and social infrastructure and sponsorship of manpower development programmes in the health and educational sectors.
Brikinn said, “Apart from this deworming programme, there are several projects by NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture and other Chevron companies in Nigeria, which are either ongoing or completed across the state.
“These include: the Ekpan Women Development Center, E.Library at Ubeji, Mother and Child Hospital in Sapele, the Aruakpor-Umah Road Electricity Project, the Edjeba Solar Powered Water project and the Osubi Solar Powered water project which was commissioned recently.
“We have also made good progress on the Ekpan Surgical Theater/Call Rooms, Aruakpor-Umah six Class Room Block projects. In addition there is an NNPC/ CNL JV-sponsored NYSC Science Teacher’s Program at Ekpan Secondary School, Effurun. We are very proud to be partners in progress in with Delta State Government.”
Brikinn also commended the Delta State Ministry of Health, Women Right Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), the implementing NGO and GlaxoSmithKline Limited for partnering with them.
Chairman, Warri South Local Government Area, Dr. Micheal Tidi on his part, commended NNPC/CNL JV for the exercise noting that the exercise is of significant benefit to the children and the society in general.
He said if people refused to do the needful by properly safeguarding the health of the children, the future of the country will be bleak.
Tidi assured that his administration will cooperate fully with Chevron Nigeria Limited to ensure that the program achieved its set goals and objectives.
“This desire to have a healthy population to my mind, has informed several laudable health programmes by His Excellency Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, as expressly stated in his SMART agenda,” Tidi said.
During her health talk, the Health Education/Nurse Supervisor, Chevron, Mrs. Modupe Omiwade who spoke on the importance of good hygiene as one of the ways of preventing worm infestation, encouraged people to always form the habit of hand washing at all times.
