The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), in commemoration of the World Pharmacists’ Day, has launched a campaign to see the eradication of worm infestation among school children in Ghana.

The campaign, which is in partnership with Jassen Pharmaceuticals of Johnson & Johnson and the Ghana Education Service (EGS), will see the education of over 10,000 school children aged between six to 12 years on worm infestation and the need for personal hygiene through drawing and poetry competition in selected clusters of schools across the country.

The winners of the competition to be selected by a panel of judges made up of pharmacists and teachers will receive various educational materials as prizes.

PSGH also organised a health walk through Accra and held a blood donation exercise as part of activities to mark the day.

Speaking at the campaign launch, Pharm. Benjamin Kwame Botwe, PSGH President, applauded pharmacists for their role in the health delivery system of Ghana.

He added that the collaboration is an indication of the society’s continuous effort in positioning itself as a key partner in promoting healthy practices among Ghanaians.

“The PSGH holds this unique partnership with Janssen Pharmaceuticals of Johnson & Johnson, Ghana, in very high esteem and wishes that it is broadened to other areas of cooperation to better serve the people of Ghana,” he said.

Pharm. Botwe also used the day to call on government to continue to support the efforts of the society by improving working conditions of pharmacists in the country.

“As we pledge our support to this cause we call on government and other stakeholders to equally support the society in the delivery of such social interventions,” the PSGH president mentioned.

Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu stated that innovative model of collaboration and local empowerment between Janseen, Ghanaian pharmacists and school children has already seen positive results.

He pointed out that the collaboration offers a new opportunity to educate children on personal hygiene.

“This unfitted effort will take us one step closer to whipping out preventable worm infestations in Ghana,” he added.

The Country Manager of Jaseen, Priscilla Owusu Sekyere, hinted that the campaign is a continuation of a successful partnership between the agencies which was launched last year in promoting healthy living among school children.

“We want to continue working together to help teach primary school children about the dangers of poor sanitation and the importance of effective handwashing,” she said.

She said the drawing competition which will start from the Greater Accra Region will not only encourage the children through their engagement with one another to pass on the information, “we hope it will also help ensure that worm infestation quickly become a thing of the past.”