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Lesotho moves towards mass treatment of worm infections

Lesotho moves towards mass treatment of worm infections
By: Michael Mike
To address the severe impact of parasitic worm infections on children’s health, nutrition, and education, the Ministry of Health in Lesotho, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), has initiated steps to re-establish its Mass Drug Administration (MDA) programme for Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH).
This is done through the annual administration of albendazole tablets to target both preschool-aged children (1–5 years) and school-aged children (6–15 years). To prepare for the implementation of this critical intervention, a three-and-a-half-day multi-sectoral workshop was held in Leribe District, focusing on the development and validation of a comprehensive operational manual to guide future MDA implementation.
WHO has reported that over 1.5 billion people globally are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH), making it one of the most widespread infections. This parasitic disease is particularly prevalent in low-income and tropical regions.

The AFRO region faces the highest burden, with more than 800 million people at risk. Around 290 million school-age children in this region require preventive chemotherapy.
All Saharan African countries are endemic for STH, underscoring the critical need for comprehensive health interventions.
Lesotho conducted its initial national STH mapping survey in 2015, which revealed an overall prevalence of 47.6%, with significant district level variations, some reaching as high as 99%. This led to the launch of an MDA program in 2017, which, however, ceased operations after 2019 due to various challenges,including the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving at-risk populations vulnerable once more. Population at risk in Lesotho is around 550,000.
STH infections are classified by the WHO as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), characterized by their prevalence in populations with limited access to adequate sanitation and healthcare facilities. These parasitic infections contribute to adverse health outcomes, particularly among children, impacting their nutrition, growth, and educational performance.
A multi-sectoral approach is key to effectively and sustainably controlling and eventually eliminating STH infections in Lesotho and other high-burden areas. It involves not just the health sector (like mass drug administration), but also other sectors that address the main causes of transmission, such as poor sanitation, unsafe water, and poor hygiene.
Dr. Dhruv Pandey, the Technical Expert on Tropical and Vector-Borne Diseases, WHO Multicounty Assignment Team for the Southern Africa Hub countries, emphasized that the discontinuation of MDA since 2019 could have a detrimental impact on both public health and socioeconomic development in Lesotho.
He stressed the need for renewed political and intersectoral commitment, stating:
“It is essential for the Ministry of Health to prioritize the resumption of MDA by initially integrating it within existing health programmes, such as immunization and HPV campaigns.STH is not merely a health issue; it is a social issue, influenced by multiple social determinants and should be addressed through coordinated action.”
Ntsoaki Mamoeketsi Mokete, National Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) Focal Person at the Ministry of Health, highlighted the significance of the newly developed operational manual.
“Developing the operational manual is an important step towards controlling and eliminating neglected tropical diseases in Lesotho,” Mokete said. She outlined future plans, including five years of continuous MDA followed by an impact assessment survey to determine the status of STHs in the country.
“Our next steps will be to continue with the MDA for five years,which will be followed by the impact assessment survey to determine the distribution of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) among the general population. This will enable us to implement effective deworming strategies for the elimination of STH as a public health problem in the Kingdom of Lesotho.
In addition, we will focus on advocacy for the revitalization of school health programmes, developing NTD clinical guidelines, integrating NTDs into the IDSR strategy, and developing a coherent and well-coordinated approach in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other related organizations.”
The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) also affirmed its commitment to the program. Mpheng Molapo, Coordinator of the Learner Care and Welfare Support Unit at MoET, underlined the direct benefits for students.
“The Ministry of Education strongly supports the implementation of the (MDA) for (STH) as a key public health intervention with direct impact on learner well-being, educational performance, and school attendance,” Molapo stated.
Dr. Pabolo Nonyane, District Veterinary Officer and National Focal Point for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, underscored the importance of the MDA to the agricultural sector.
She stated that: “This initiative is vital for achieving sustainable food and nutrition security, particularly within our high-risk agricultural communities. Farmers and herd boys are uniquely vulnerable due to their exposure to contaminated soil. By using this operational manual to protect their health, we preserve the human capital essential for our agricultural future. This effort truly reflects the ‘One Health’ principle, ensuring that our work on STH contributes not only to public health but also directly to Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger.”
“The development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the MDA campaign against Soil-Transmitted Helminths is essential,” stated Matebele Setefane, UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) Focal Person, Ministry of Natural Resources.
“This manual provides a structured, standardized approach that ensures clarity of roles and alignment with broader health and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) goals. Given that STH infections are strongly linked to inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene, integrating WASH elements into the MDA operational SOPs helps address not just treatment but also prevention.”
Setefane further emphasized the collaborative nature of the initiative: “The success of the MDA campaign depends not only on drug distribution but also on addressing the environmental drivers of STH transmission. Our ministry is committed to supporting the campaign through WASH integration, by collaborating with the Ministry of Health to ensure safe water access, functional sanitation facilities, and hygiene promotion are prioritized in targeted communities and schools.”
The workshop convened a multidisciplinary team, including representatives from the Ministries of Education, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Environment. This collaborative approach aims to ensure the operational manual is pragmatic and implementable across all levels of engagement, marking a critical step towards establishing a sustainable, multisectoral intervention for STH control and eventual elimination as a public health problem in Lesotho.
WHO, working with other partners, has been instrumental in operationalizing the implementation of MDA in many countries, providing support at every stage of the process. This includes ensuring the sustainability of high-quality MDA, facilitating annual reporting, and conducting a comprehensive impact assessment after five years of optimal coverage.
Lesotho moves towards mass treatment of worm infections
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At Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation Citizens Engagement

At Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation Citizens Engagement:
President Tinubu Walking Hand In Hand With Nigerians Through Critical Reforms, Says VP Shettima
- Adds: Administration prioritising dialogue, flexibility in tax reforms, fuel subsidy removal, others
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has said that instead of governing Nigeria from a distance, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is walking hand in hand with the people through critical national reforms.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the administration to inclusive governance and responsive policymaking rooted in wide-ranging public engagement and empathy.
Senator Shettima, who stated this on Tuesday in Kaduna at a 2-day interactive session on Government – Citizens Engagement, organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, said the Nigerian leader has demonstrated time and again that his administration is “neither crafting policy in solitude nor assuming that technocracy alone delivers results.”
Represented by the Special Adviser to The President on General Duties (Office of the Vice President), Dr Aliyu Modibbo Umar, the Vice President, declared that the Tinubu administration is convening conversations and institutionalising listening.
“It is always a privilege to gather under the luminous legacy of Sir Ahmadu Bello; his memory reminds us that leadership is not simply about occupying office, but about shouldering the burden of service. What we nurture today is not just a government of the people but a government with the people,” he said.
VP Shettima highlighted several reforms of the administration where public input significantly shaped final outcomes, including tax policy, education access, and economic relief measures following the removal of fuel subsidies.
On the student loan law, which was initially passed as the Access to Higher Education Act, the VP said in response, the administration repealed and reenacted the law, “removing income ceilings and guarantor barriers that had become symbolic walls between ambition and opportunity.”
Vice President Shettima reiterated the government’s belief that “no student should be disqualified for being born on the wrong side of poverty.”
On tax reforms, Senator Shettima said the administration established a Presidential Tax and Fiscal Reform Committee, which engaged stakeholders from across the country to address grey areas in the reforms.
“When objections arose from governors and citizens alike, the President did not dismiss them. He welcomed their candour and ensured tax bills passed through public hearings. Even unpopular taxes inherited from past regimes, like the 10% single-use plastic levy and telecom tax, were suspended after critical review,” he stated.
The VP also spoke about the contentious issue of fuel subsidy removal, saying the Tinubu-led federal government acknowledged the hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians and accompanied the policy with strategic responses.
He continued: “We met with labour unions not with threats, but with empathy. We offered palliative packages, increased wages, waived diesel taxes, and introduced alternatives like CNG buses to cushion transport costs. We were not merely reacting. We were responding.”
The Vice President said the reforms in other sectors of the economy followed the same pattern of engaging with the people and making necessary adjustments to the original propositions where necessary.
He further noted that every step of the way, President Tinubu showed concern for the people and emphasised the point that “governance is not a theatre of perfection but a process of correction and a government that listens is a government that learns. And a government that learns is a government that leads.”
He applauded the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation for sustaining the legacy of the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, describing it as “a torch of civic dialogue that must never be extinguished.”
At Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation Citizens Engagement
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LIBERIA HONORS ECOWAS AND ECOMOG AT 178TH INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATONS*

LIBERIA HONORS ECOWAS AND ECOMOG AT 178TH INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATONS*
By: Michael Mike
Liberia’s 178th Independence Day celebration on the 26th of June 2025 served as a powerful tribute to regional unity and peacebuilding, with a spotlight on the enduring role of ECOWAS and ECOMOG in Liberia’s journey through civil conflict and reconciliation.

The ceremony welcomed high-level dignitaries from across West Africa, including the Presidents of Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, along with senior officials from Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, symbolizing Liberia’s strong ties within the sub-region.

In recognition of ECOWAS at 50, Liberia honored contributing member states of ECOMOG – Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone with awards presented by H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, President of Liberia. Special honors were also given to past Executive Secretaries of ECOWAS who played pivotal roles during Liberia’s crisis, including H.E. Lansana Kouyate, H.E. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu, and H.E. Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas.
LIBERIA HONORS ECOWAS AND ECOMOG AT 178TH INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATONS*
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GUINEA-BISSAU DEEPENS NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE WOMEN,PEACE, AND SECURITY AGENDA THROUGH ECOWAS-LED IN-COUNTRY CRFCAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP

GUINEA-BISSAU DEEPENS NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE WOMEN,
PEACE, AND SECURITY AGENDA THROUGH ECOWAS-LED IN-COUNTRY CRF
CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP
By: Michael Mike
From the 22nd to 24th of July, 2025, the ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DAHS), in close collaboration with other relevant directorates and agencies, the Ministry of Women, Family and Social Solidarity of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, as well as the ECOWAS Women, Peace and Security Regional Steering Group (WPS-RSG), successfully organized a national capacity-building workshop in Bissau.
The three-day workshop, aimed at stakeholders and focal points of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, focused on the application of the African Union’s Continental Results Framework (CRC-UA), simplified and adapted to the West African context by the ECOWAS Commission for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the WPS Agenda.
This initiative is part of ECOWAS’s ongoing efforts to strengthen national accountability
mechanisms and data systems, in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions. It is implemented with the technical and financial support of the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project (EPSG), co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
(BMZ) and carried out with the support of GIZ.

In her opening speech, Her Excellency Maria Inácia Có Mendes Sanhá, Minister of Women, Family and Social Solidarity, underlined Guinea-Bissau’s ongoing commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment in peace-building processes. She reaffirmed the government’s support for the WPS Agenda, citing several national policies and legal frameworks, including the National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity (PNIEG), the Parity Law, as well as laws on gender-based violence and human trafficking.
Mrs. Cristina da Silva Pedreira, Director General of Regional Integration and Head of the ECOWAS National Unit at the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Integration, welcomed the participants, stressing that the workshop offered a platform for adapting continental frameworks to the local level and strengthening the role of women in sustain-
able development and peacebuilding in Guinea-Bissau.
She reaffirmed her ministry’s commitment to supporting ECOWAS processes in national institutions.
Directorate of Communication
Representing the ECOWAS Resident Representative, Her Excellency Ambassador Ngozi Ukaeje, Dr. Aishatu Morido Yanet praised the collaborative spirit that had animated the workshop and encouraged participants to take full advantage of the training to fill the data and coordination gaps, as highlighted in the first ECOWAS regional WPS report (2024).
She stressed that the CRC is not just a technical tool, but an essential accountabil-
ity mechanism ensuring the visibility and impact of women’s contributions to peacebuilding.
On behalf of the ECOWAS Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Dr. Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, Mr. Olatunde Olayemi, Program Manager for the Social Dimensions of Human Trafficking, stressed the importance of the CRC in institutionalizing monitoring and reporting on the WPS.
He pointed out that the Guinea-Bissau workshop is the ninth of its kind organized by ECOWAS, following similar initiatives in Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Nigeria, Liberia, Gambia, Togo, Senegal and Ghana.
“Women and girls must be visible actors in peace and governance,” he said, adding that the CRC’s simplified tool is a crucial step in ensuring evidence-based implementation and monitoring of national WPS commitments.
Speaking on behalf of the German government, Mr. Carsten Wille, Head of the Liaison Office of the German Embassy in Dakar and Guinea-Bissau, reaffirmed Germany’s strong commitment to feminist development cooperation and inclusive peacebuilding. “We areproud to support national actors through the EPSG project. Guinea-Bissau’s adherence to this CRC training demonstrates its willingness to strengthen its institutional response to
the gender dimensions of peace and security,” he asserted.
The workshop, led by Ms Tamwakat Elizabeth Golit, Integrated Expert on Women, Peace and Security for the EPSG Project at the ECOWAS Commission, and Ms Edineusa Lopes José da Cruz Figueiredo, President of the Institute for Women and Children, brought to-
gether over 35 participants from ministries, security institutions, civil society organiza-
tions, academia and the media. Through participatory exercises, group work and technical presentations, the workshop strengthened participants’ ability to use the CRC tool and its complementary questionnaire, enabling better monitoring of WPS indicators in line with national and regional frameworks.
At the close of the workshop, five gender assessment reports were officially handed over to the Office of the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Guinea-Bissau and to the ECOWAS National Office. During the presentation of the reports, Ms. Tamwakat Elizabeth Golit, the EPSG Project’s Integrated Gender Expert at the ECOWAS Commission, provided a summary of the main findings and practical recommendations for strengthening national coordination and policy responses.
She stressed the importance of transparency and collective ownership, pointing out that the reports are now publicly available via the ECOWAS website, to serve as a resource for advocacy, research and evidence-based decision-
making. Participants hailed the workshop as a timely initiative and called for further training, institutionalization of the CRC in national monitoring systems, and enhanced collaboration between stakeholders. They also expressed their willingness to contribute to the next national WPS reporting cycle using the simplified CRC tool.
The workshop concluded with a strong call to action: to take the Women, Peace and Security Agenda beyond political declarations, towards concrete and measurable impacts for women and girls in Guinea-Bissau and West Africa.
GUINEA-BISSAU DEEPENS NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE WOMEN,
PEACE, AND SECURITY AGENDA THROUGH ECOWAS-LED IN-COUNTRY CRF
CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP
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