Monica Nku, a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Edo State, has donated 1,000 doses of Tanzol deworming tablets to the state’s Ministry of Health.
The donation, a component of her Community Development Service (CDS) project, aims to reduce the prevalence of worm infections among school children in Edo State.
This initiative follows a health sensitization campaign led by Nku at Anglican Girls Grammar School, Benin City, where she educated students on deworming practices and the importance of personal hygiene. During the presentation of the drugs, Nku stated that her motivation stemmed from observations made during the outreach, where she noted a significant number of children suffering from undetected worm infections.
“I was able to sensitize about 1,000 students, and I observed that many school-aged children suffer from worm infection without knowing it,” Nku said. “This infection affects their health, growth and learning ability. Some children feel weak, have stomach pain, lose their appetite and perform poorly in school because of worms.”
The donated tablets are intended for free distribution to children through public health facilities, hospitals, and pharmacies. Nku emphasized the link between poor hygiene practices, such as walking barefoot and inadequate handwashing, and the spread of worm infections.
Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole, the Commissioner for Health, received the donation and commended Nku for her contribution, assuring that the drugs would be appropriately deployed to benefit the intended recipients. Mrs. Theresa Ayanru, the NYSC Local Government Inspector for Oredo, also lauded Nku’s commitment to service.
This health-focused CDS project builds on Nku’s previous interventions, including a donation of 300 sanitary pads to female corps members during the 2025 NYSC orientation camp.
