INTESTINAL WORM INFESTATION AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN IN DABOASE IN THE WASSA EAST DISTRICT OF THE WESTERN REGION OF GHANA

The infestation of intestinal worms is rampant among school children in Daboasein the Western Region of Ghana. WHO revealed that worms infestations is one of the major problems in school children. The main route of infection is the faeco-oral. A population of one hundred and twenty school children was equally and randomly selected from four schools in Daboase. One hundred and twenty structured questionnaires were also administer and retrieved. One hundred and twenty faecal samples from the selected school children were examined for the presence of intestinal worms. It was examined that, Giardia constituted twenty-nine percent, Cryptosporidii constituted forty-five percent, Isospora constituted sixteen percent, and Dientamoeba constituted ten percent. Both sexes have equal chance of being infested. Majority of the parents of the pupils have no formal education whilst others have had one form of education up to graduate education. Sixty-three percent indicated that they have toilet facilities in their homes and about thirty-eight percent indicated that they do not have toilet facilities in their homes and so practice open defecation. Sixty percent washed their hands before eating whilst forty percent indicated that they do not wash their hands before eating. Nearly fifty-three percent of them used dewormer whiles forty-seven percent of them did not use dewormer. The usage of dewormer among the pupils significantly associated (p<0.05) with infestation level. Urgent actions are needed to; at least, reduce intestinal parasitic infections through concerted approaches involving politicians (decision makers), health extension workers, school teachers, the mass media, community and religious leaders. Regular inspection should be conducted on school children for personal hygienic practices and shoe wearing habits.