More than 80 percent of school children in the Savelugu/Nanton District in the Northern Region are infested with tape and hookworms.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is to assist with drugs and vaccines to treat the children as most of them looked malnourished, Mr. John Nana Opoku, Savelugu/Nanton District Director of Education announced at a three-day workshop organised for 80 guidance and counselling co-ordinators in basic schools at Savelugu.

He said a survey conducted by the UNICEF and the Ministry of Health on the health status of the children attributed the situation to poor sanitary conditions and unhygienic drinking water sources in the area.

It also blamed some cooked food vendors for preserving old food to sell to the children at school. Mr. Opoku said a report was then made to UNICEF and the Ministry of Health to investigate the problem following a visit to some schools by the District Schools Health Team.

Upon the report, UNICEF agreed to sponsor personnel of the Ministry of Health to conduct a survey on the health status of the children.

The District Director said random tests on the urine and stool samples of children showed that they were infested with worms. A workshop had been arranged to train personnel to carry out the treatment exercise, he said.