The government through the ministries of Education and Health has embarked on a massive deworming exercise in Kiambu County targeting over 40,000 children. Gatundu South sub-county public health officer Mrs Evelyn Munjalu said the exercise will cover 87 public and private primary schools targeting 43,000 pupils and children out of school aged between two-14 years. Speaking to the press in her office on Friday, Mrs Munjalu said deworming campaign was initiated in 2009 to curb frequent absenteeism and school dropout cases. She said children infested with the worms suffered from stigma because in severe conditions, worms such as tapeworms or roundworms could ooze out creating embarrassment to innocent pupils forcing them to drop out of school. The sub-county public health officer on Friday said that in a research done by the two ministries, it was found that worm infestation accounted for 25 per cent of school absenteeism leading to poor growth and health among the affected children. She said in 2009 about 45 counties were targeted where a total of 3.6 million children were dewormed. Mrs Munjalu said this year, 28 counties will benefit from the exercise among them Kiambu County where there is a heavy infestation of the worms

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