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Talent Gore and Shamiso Makiwa
GOVERNMENT on Monday rolled out a $1 million mass drug administration campaign to eliminate tropical diseases like intestinal worms and bilharzia among children. The programme is supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), End Fund and other partners. The campaign, which covers all the 10 provinces, started in Bulawayo and Manicaland.

It targets all children above one year. Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Portia Manangazira said the campaign was targeting pre-school and school children.

“Starting from today (Monday) until July 30, two provinces are going to be implementing the MDA but they are going to start with bilharzia and intestinal worms. The other provinces will start the MDA for elephantiasis in September,” she said.

“The bilharzia and intestinal worms were discovered in 1993 but the implementation of the MDA started in 2012 after World Health Organisation began to fund the expensive medicine which the Government could not afford. The programme is targeting pre-school children and school children from all the 10 provinces of the country,” she said.

The campaign has been divided into phases, with the first one running from July 25-30, second September 12-17 and the last from September 27 to October 1. “The MDA campaign will be held simultaneously throughout the country and is targeting 36 districts for bilharzias and 47 districts for intestinal worm disease.

“A survey which we conducted proved that these diseases are there and they were affecting the population and there was need for medication. “About 36 districts were endemic to bilharzias and 47 were endemic for intestinal worms but virtually every province is affected by these diseases,” said Dr Manangazira.

“The Government is supported by partners and the donor community and has received medication and funds from the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, World Vision International and End Fund,” she said.