NYSC member takes campaign on deworming, hygiene to girls’ school in Edo
Campaign
By Usman Aliyu
Benin, Jan. 21, 2026 (NAN) An NYSC member serving in Edo, Monica Nku, on Wednesday unveiled a health awareness campaign on deworming and personal hygiene for students of Anglican Girls Grammar School, Benin City.
Addressing the students, Nku, said the sensitisation was driven by concern over the silent health burden posed by worm infections among children.
The NYSC member, a graduate of Arts and Social Science Education from the University of Calabar, said that many school-aged students suffer from worm infections without being aware of it.
“I carried out this project because I realised that many students suffer from worm infection without knowing it.
“This infection affects their health, growth and learning abilities,” she said.
The NYSC member explained that worm infections often manifest as weakness, stomach pain and loss of appetite, and she said these conditions could negatively affect students’ concentration and performance in school.
“I also noticed that poor hygiene practices such as walking barefooted, not washing hands properly and playing in dirty environments increase the spread of worms among children,” Nku added.
She said that the project was designed to protect students’ health, reduce sickness and help them live “healthy and productive lives.’’
She noted that improved hygiene and regular deworming could boost school attendance and academic performance.
In his presentation, Mrs Faith Adegbemileke of the Edo Ministry for health, stressed that personal hygiene remained fundamental to healthy living.
“Personal hygiene is the bedrock of healthy living. It is what you do to avoid landing in the hospital,” she said.
Adegbemileke cautioned against improper handwashing, noting that washing hands in a bowl does not guarantee hygiene.
“Wash your hands with soap and running water. Go in between the fingers, the thumb, the knuckles, the fingertips and even the wrist.
“That is when you can confidently say you have washed your hands,” she explained, while demonstrating the proper technique.
The health expert said poor hygiene and contaminated food were common ways worms enter the body, describing worms as parasites that feed on other organisms and cause harm.
“Deworming should be done at least twice a year, except in highly infested areas like some rural communities,” she said, adding that deworming services were available free at public health facilities.
The President of Florish Foundation for Women and Youth, Dr Frances Ben-Ushie, described the initiative as timely and impactful, particularly for young girls.
Ben-Ushie, who was represented by Esther Adesuyi, foundation’s Director of New Media and Communication, commended Nku for translating knowledge into action.
She noted that the project aligned with the foundation’s values of service, compassion and sustainable impact.
“Health education, especially on deworming and personal hygiene, remains a critical foundation for the well-being, learning capacity and overall development of children and young people,” she said.
Mrs Theresa Ayanru, Local Government Inspector of the NYSC for Oredo also encouraged the students to put the lessons into practice.
Ayanru urged them to adopt healthy habits that would support their growth and future aspirations. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
AUO/FAT/KOO
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Edited by Fatima Sule Abdullahi/Kevin Okunzuwa
