Access Project, an organisation that improves the health of impoverished people, in conjunction with Trac-plus, have extended the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) to schools around the country.

During the ceremony held at the Project’s headquarters on Saturday, the organisation rewarded over 10 student winners with cash prizes worth Rwf 2,190,000, for presenting excellent songs, poems and comic booklets on NTDs.

According to the Country Director of the Project, Dr. Blaise Karibushi, the candidates who excelled in the three categories were tasked to present informative material on how to protect oneself against soil-transmitted Helminthes, commonly known as intestinal worms, and Schistosomiasis (bilharzia).

"This initiative aims at educating the public on the prevention and treatment of these NTDs. Students were called upon to participate through various media houses and the outcome of their efforts will be used to educate other Rwandans hence increasing awareness of this fight,” Karibushi said.

Last year, Trac-plus released a report on the prevalence of NTDs and according to its Director General, Dr. Michael Kramer, almost two-thirds of children tested had one or more of these diseases and large numbers of adults infected with worms.

In a bid to curb the rate of infection, mass drug treatment has been done by the organizations, the recent one being the adult de-worming campaign that was conducted around lakes Muhazi and Ruhondo last month.

"They are called NTDs because other diseases have more attention and funding,” Dr. Kramer told The New Times.

Access Project officials noted that the winning songs will be broadcast nationwide while poems and comic books will be taken to various schools to teach children about prevention measures of these diseases.

Peace Karambizi, a student at Camp Kigali Primary School justified her award-winning poem as a strategic way of teaching fellow Rwandans about the dangers of these very prevalent diseases.

"I studied about bilharzia and know that it is transmitted through contact with contaminated water while performing daily chores. So my poem teaches others about causes, dangers and preventive measures,” she said as she smiled with her cash prize.

According to officials, the partner organizations are determined to roll out the programme in all schools as a sensitization campaign that will curtail infection levels.

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