The government, through the Ministry of Health and Education dewormed 6.7million pupils for soil-transmitted parasitic worms in 15,000 primary schools in 2014/2015 financial year.
Dr Jackson Kioko, the head of the Department of Preventive and Promotive Health in the Ministry of Health, said the deworming programme successfully reduced the prevalence of soil transmitted helminths in Kenya from 35% in 2012 to 17% in 2015.
The worms in question are transmitted by eggs present in human waste which in turn contaminate soil in areas where sanitation is poor.
The worms when mature can generally be seen with the naked eye. They are often referred to as intestinal worms.
The national school based deworming programme is supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Evidence Action and other partners.
The Director General in the Ministry of Education Leah Rotich said the programme had 83% achievement rate.
She said they will ensure all children are dewormed for better health and free access to education.
She said the infections were responsible for frequent learner absenteeism in school, and lack of concentration during teaching and learning in schools.
Mrs Rotich noted that out of the 6.7 million children dewormed, 91% are enrolled in school and 9% are non-enrolled children.
“Of the enrolled children 1.33 million were from ECD centres,” she said.
She said the government was working on modalities to increase sustainability by the year 2022.
The target areas for the programme included parts of Nyanza, such as Ahero, Kisii and the low lands areas of Mount Kenya like Mwea.