NSBD Targets Six Million Learners in Countrywide School Deworming Program
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal number four on quality education is intertwined with goal three on good health and well-being.
This connection is exemplified by the Kenya National School-Based Deworming (NSBD) program, set to launch next week.
The NSBD targets six million learners aged 2-14 years across public and private schools, as well as out-of-school children within this age range.
The inter-ministerial initiative, marking 11 years of success since its inception in 2012, has treated 53 million learners to date.
The Ministries of Health and Education are collaboratively implementing this program.
Principal Secretary, State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni, and her Basic Education counterpart Dr. Belio Kipsang, highlighted that school-age children bear the highest burden of infections, which can lead to developmental and behavioral deficits.
They spoke at a joint breakfast meeting ahead of the national launch in Kirinyaga County.
Muthoni explained that worms interfere with nutrient uptake, causing anemia, malnourishment, impaired cognition and physical development, lower school attendance, and reduced economic productivity in adulthood.
Studies show long-term educational and labor market benefits from deworming investments.
Educational Benefits
The PS mentioned that overall infection prevalence significantly dropped by almost 62% over the 11-year period, with 2020 being an exception due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Schistosomiasis cases of S. haematobium saw a nearly 99% reduction.
Men who were dewormed as children stayed in school longer, worked more hours weekly as adults, and were more likely to secure higher-wage manufacturing jobs. Women treated as children were more likely to pass primary school exit exams and transition to secondary school.
Dr. Kipsang, represented by Head of Primary Education Stephen Barongo, noted that school-based mass deworming reduced absenteeism, boosted cognitive development, and allowed children to focus their energy on growth and development, leading to positive weight gain and increased school participation.
NSBD is a flagship program under Kenya Vision 2030, recognized by the National School Health Policy and Guidelines and the Neglected Tropical Diseases Master Plan 2016-2020.
It was among the first programs to engage county structures post-devolution in 2010. The Ministries of Education and Health provide strategic leadership, guided by WHO policies, to ensure progress towards overall goals.
Deworming Efforts in 2024
The 2024 deworming medicines, donated by Evidence Action, include 6,134,000 Albendazole tablets and 198,000 Praziquantel tablets.
The annual round of deworming targets 16 counties and 122 sub-counties nationwide. Treatments will be administered on July 4th, 2024, with a national launch event at Kanjuu Primary School in Kirinyaga County.
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Globally, 1.5 billion people, nearly one in four of the world’s population, are infected with Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH), and approximately 200 million are infected with Schistosomiasis.
Poor sanitation and hygiene perpetuate worm transmission. Evidence Action, in partnership with Kenya’s Ministries of Health and Education, CIFF, The End Fund, GiveWell, and WHO, has been crucial in establishing, scaling, and maintaining the NSBD program.
NSBD Targets Six Million Learners in Countrywide School Deworming Program
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