Manni:The President of the Special Delegation of Manni, Emmanuel Tindano, chaired an advocacy meeting on Friday, focusing on the mobilization of community leaders for a children's health protection campaign against bilharzia. The campaign targets 62,268 children aged 5 to 14 in the Manni health district and is scheduled from October 26 to 31, 2026.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the meeting, attended by administrative, traditional, and religious authorities, was held in the Medical Center's meeting room. The goal was to engage opinion leaders as intermediaries to inform the population, reassure parents, and encourage family participation in the campaign.

Dr. Lacina Traoré, the chief medical officer of the Manni health district, outlined the objectives and procedures of the public health operation, which aims for 100% therapeutic coverage of the targeted children. The campaign will cover 46,594 children in Manni and 15,674 in Thion. The organizers emphasized the importance of this initiative for preventing schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that can have severe consequences if untreated.

The treatment involves administering praziquantel free of charge, supervised by distribution agents with dosages adjusted to each child's weight. Dr. Traoré assured that side effects would likely be mild and temporary. The campaign's success will also depend on parental trust and effective community information dissemination.

President Emmanuel Tindano urged leaders to commit fully to raising awareness, highlighting the collective responsibility in child protection. Participants pledged to promote the campaign dates, raise parental awareness, assist health teams, and report any rumors or concerns to health authorities. The campaign aims to transform this mobilization into effective family participation, ensuring many children benefit from this preventive intervention.