Write By Teddy Daniel; Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
Members of the National Assembly have been called upon to allocate more funding to relevant stakeholders working towards the eradication and elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the country.
The Director General of the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis and Onchocerciasis Research (NITR), Dr. Joachim Joseph Ajakaiye, made this appeal while speaking to newsmen during a public lecture commemorating World Neglected Tropical Disease Day in Kaduna.
Dr. Ajakaiye emphasized that policymakers must take deliberate action to address the burden of these neglected diseases, which continue to affect the country, particularly in low-income areas where awareness about prevention and control remains inadequate.
‘We are calling on policymakers to demonstrate the political will to support those working on this issue. Stakeholders such as the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research, the Federal Ministry of Health, and partners like Sightsavers, among others, need more backing.”
“Neglected Tropical Diseases have been largely abandoned. As of today, there are over 21 of these diseases worldwide, contributing to a significant global health burden.
No fewer than 1.5 billion people are affected, and in every country, particularly in Africa, where adequate healthcare is lacking, the burden should not be left for the poor to bear alone,” he explained.
The Director General, therefore, stressed that all hands must be on deck to tackle the menace for a safer and better society.
In her remarks, the Kaduna State Coordinator of Neglected Tropical Diseases Mrs Zainabe Haruna said the State Government has done much in ensuring that the state is completely free from the diseases.
‘onchocerciasis has been eliminated before in Kaduna, but later mappings showed traces of the disease in some LGAs and we are still treating those endemic LGAs with three rounds of treatments done so far, and as for schistosomiasis, we are starting the treatment this February in 22 endemic LGAs’, she narrated .
She, therefore, appealed for continues funding from relevant stakeholders to ensure that the campaign to eliminate the Neglected Tropical disease is sustained
Mrs Zainabe Haruna called on the general public to take their hygiene more serious and ensure they thoroughly wash their hands with detergent at an interval to prevent spread of diseases.
Earlier in an interview, Program Director for the Neglected Tropical Disease, Sight Saver Kaduna Mrs Anita Gwom called on stakeholders in the fight against the tropical diseases to be deliberate and accountable to ensure 2030 dateline of eliminating the disease is met.
Mrs. Anita Gwom also appealed to residents of affected communities to act as change agents by providing relevant information to help contain the spread of such diseases.
The theme for the 2025 World Neglected Tropical Disease Day is “Unite, Act, and Eliminate NTDs.”
COV/Teddy Daniel
