500 pupils benefit from WV health programme

Sekyere-Krobo (W/R), June 2, GNA - The World Vision (WV) in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Mpohor Wassa East District Assembly has ended a two-week health programme for more than 500 pupils in the Mpohor Wassa East District.

The programme dealt mainly with the assessment of hearing levels of nursery and primary three pupils in 11 communities.

Briefing Newsmen at Sekyere-Krobo near Daboase on Thursday, Mr. Joseph Sam, Peripatetic Officer of the GES, said 100 pupils had been identified to have conductive hearing impairment.

The problem, he said might be one of the factors contributing to the low levels of education particularly in the District. More than 20 others were identified to have fluid discharge of the ear, impacted wax and cleft palate and said those with relatively serious disabilities had been recommended for medical interventions. Mr Sam said those whose hearing levels were above 26 decibel on the audiometer during the audiometric assessment were said to have hearing impairment.

He said the programme also dealt with special problems of gifted and talented children with learning disabilities and that some of them would be recommended for ear washing only. Madam Vida Olivia Asmah, District Schools Health Coordinator, advised parents to avoid removing wax from the ears of their children and reminded them of the dangerous effects of slapping children. Ms Elisabeth Sagoe, Mpohor Wassa East Area Development Manager of WV, said under its school health programme, World Vision had trained 17 teachers to help to identify deformities in children through simple techniques.

She said the programme had started periodic de-worming of pupils and said so far 6,500 children had benefited from the initiated. The WV had also been organising public education on HIV/AIDS and other health related issues, Miss Sagoe said. 2 June 05