# Deworming in Nigeria: Albendazole, When & How Often

- Source: https://ogbogwu.com/conditions/intestinal-worms/
- Last updated: July 2026
- Educational information, not medical advice.

Intestinal worms — roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, and others — are widespread in Nigeria, especially among children, spread through soil, contaminated food and water, and bare feet on infected ground. Light infections often cause no symptoms at all, which is exactly why routine deworming exists: worms silently steal nutrition and blood.

Hookworm in particular feeds on blood in the gut wall and is a classic hidden cause of stubborn iron-deficiency anaemia. Deworming is one of the cheapest, highest-value health habits a Nigerian household can keep.

The standard treatment is a single dose of albendazole (or an equivalent benzimidazole). WHO-backed practice is periodic deworming of children in endemic areas — once or twice a year — which Nigerian school and community programmes also follow.

## Signs & symptoms

- Often none — routine deworming assumes silent infection
- Abdominal discomfort, bloating, or on-and-off diarrhoea
- Itching around the anus, especially at night (pinworm)
- Visible worms in stool occasionally
- In heavier infections: poor appetite, weight loss, tiredness, anaemia; in children, poor growth and concentration

## Medicines used in Nigeria

- albendazole (https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/albendazole/): Standard single-dose dewormer for common intestinal worms; used household-wide and in school programmes
- ferrous sulfate (https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/ferrous-sulfate/): Rebuilds iron after hookworm-related anaemia, alongside deworming
- zinc (https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/zinc/): Supportive supplement for children with diarrhoea and poor growth, per child-health guidance

## How it's treated

For routine deworming, a single albendazole dose is taken by everyone in the household at the same time — treating one child while siblings and parents carry worms invites quick reinfection.

Persistent symptoms after deworming, or suspected non-intestinal parasites, need a clinician: not every parasite responds to albendazole, and some (like schistosomiasis from rivers/streams) require different medicines entirely.

## See a doctor if

- Worm-type symptoms that persist after a proper albendazole dose
- Blood in stool or urine (blood in urine after river/stream contact suggests schistosomiasis — different treatment)
- Severe abdominal pain or a child passing many worms
- Deworming in pregnancy — timing matters; done within antenatal care
- Children under 1 year — don't deworm without clinical advice

## Prevention

- Wash hands with soap after the toilet and before eating; keep children's nails short
- Wash fruits and vegetables; cook meat properly
- Wear footwear outdoors — hookworm enters through bare feet
- Use safe water; keep toilets/latrines clean
- Deworm school-age children every 6–12 months in line with local programmes

## FAQs

### How often should I deworm in Nigeria?

For children in Nigeria's endemic setting, once or twice a year is the WHO-aligned rhythm — commonly every 6 months, and many schools run mass deworming on that schedule. Adults in the same household benefit from deworming at the same time. A single albendazole dose is the standard; verify the NAFDAC number on the pack like any other medicine.

### Can worms cause anaemia?

Yes — hookworm is one of Nigeria's classic hidden causes of iron-deficiency anaemia, because it feeds on blood from the gut wall. Anaemia that keeps returning despite iron treatment is a strong reason to deworm and to look for other ongoing losses. Treat the worms, then rebuild iron stores with ferrous sulfate.

### Do I need a test before deworming?

For routine periodic deworming, no — in a high-prevalence country the single-dose treatment is cheap, safe, and given presumptively. Testing becomes useful when symptoms persist after deworming or suggest a parasite that albendazole doesn't cover, such as schistosomiasis after swimming in rivers or streams.