In Nigeria, 45% of school-age children, totaling nearly 12 million, are estimated to be infected with parasitic worms. Nigeria has an integrated Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) control policy and plan, a school health policy and school feeding guidelines that all include school-based deworming, and within these frameworks, the federal ministries of health and education have agreed to work in collaboration specifically on school-based deworming.

DtW Support for Nigeria

Deworm the World has provided ongoing technical assistance at the national level to:

• map worm prevalence and target the national program to the areas of greatest need
• coordinate donations of over 2.2 million doses of mebendazole to the Nigerian National STH and Schistosomaisis Control Program.

In 2011, Ogun State was identified by the Federal Ministries as an area of very high prevalence where pills were available and the State Government would benefit from a comprehensive technical assistance package to enable them to action the federal policies related to school-based deworming. In response, DtW assisted with high level advocacy within the State, which led to the convening of a school-based deworming working group. This group, in close partnership with DtW developed a program plan, targeting strategy and budget.

The State Government was then able to leverage funding for a pilot program that reached three Local Government Areas, trained over 500 teachers, community workers and health workers, and targeted over 100,000 children for treatment for STH and schistosomiasis. The pilot was carried out with financial support from UNICEF and was a collaboration between State and Federal Ministries of Education, State and Federal Ministries of Health, the State Universal Basic Education Board, and the Rural Water and Sanitation Agency. DtW provided technical assistance and catalytic funding throughout, helping to lead the master training and supporting key components of the training and pill distribution cascade.