Bolgatanga, Feb 5, GNA- About fifty thousand pupils in Basic Schools within the Bolgatanga Municipality are to be dewormed starting from 12th February 2007.

Mr. John Adongo, Assistant Municipal Director in-charge of School Health Programme, announced this at a one-day workshop for Heads of Basic Schools in Bolgatanga at the weekend.

Mr. Adongo explained that pupils infested with worms were prone to ill health and resultant absenteeism, hence the need for such exercises on a regular basis.

He commended UNICEF and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for supporting the programme.

Madam Victoria Ananzaya, CRS Partnership Co-ordinator for Bolgatanga Municipal and Talensi-Nabdam district, said research had revealed that many children in the two areas were infested with worms and appealed to teachers to take the deworming exercise serious. Participants used the forum to call on sponsoring Non-Governmental Organisations to motivate teachers as they did to other workers involved in the Polio immunization campaigns.