Public health experts have urged Nigerians living in polluted and poorly sanitised environments to deworm at least twice yearly, warning that parasitic worms can remain in the body for years if untreated.
They said while adults should deworm at least once a year, those in high-risk occupations such as farming and food handling may carry worms without symptoms, leading to anaemia, malnutrition, organ damage and stunted growth in children.
The experts noted that intestinal parasites like roundworm and hookworm thrive in poor sanitation, adding that the World Health Organisation recommends mass drug administration in endemic areas.
In Nigeria, federal and state health authorities conduct annual school-based deworming to curb soil-transmitted helminth infections, which the Lagos State Ministry of Health links to poor hygiene.
UNICEF estimates that about 80 million Nigerians lack access to improved sanitation, with poor sanitation costing the country an estimated ₦455 billion annually.
