Skip to main content

A Huge Progress In The Elimination of Nigeria's Neglected Tropical Diseases, Says Health Minister

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Health (FMOH) has announced the elimination of River blindness in Plateau and Nasarawa states while marking the 2024 World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Day. 

                   Dr.  Muhammad Ali Pate

Speaking during a news conference to mark the 2024 World NTDs Day in Abuja on Tuesday. With this year’s theme being “Unite, Act, Eliminate NTDs.” The minister, Dr Muhammad Ali Pate, emphasized the global impact of NTDs, affecting 1.6 billion people, predominantly in developing nations. 

Prof. Muhammad Pate, represented by Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike, the Director of Public Health, under the ministry, announced that Nigeria has achieved commendable progress in the prevention, treatment, and elimination of NTDs. He disclosed that;

"However, it is gladdening to note that substantial progress has been made over the last decade, as evidenced by some major achievements highlighted.

“Another achievement is the weaning of 29 million people off ivermectin treatment in 10 transmission states in the country and elimination of onchocerciasis in Plateau and Nasarawa states.

"Also, the interruption of transmission in Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara, Delta, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Anambra states.”

Mr Pate said at least 39.5 million people across 20 states and Abuja no longer need lymphatic filariasis treatment, which reduces prevalence in the at-risk population of trachoma infection by 84 per cent.

“A total of 106 of 126 endemic local government areas for trachoma in the country have stopped treatment and have also attained elimination threshold for the active stage of the disease, while 91 areas have attained elimination threshold for the blinding stage of the disease.

"At inception, about 30 million persons were at risk of going blind from trachoma, but the risk has now been brought down significantly to about 3.5 million,” the minister explained.

Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate urged the media and stakeholders to sustain their support for NTD elimination, emphasizing the crucial role they play in achieving Nigeria’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Laxmikant Chavan, UCN Cluster Lead and AMR Expert, World Health Organisation (WHO), while reiterating commitment to NTDs elimination, commended the federal government for the progress achieved.

He said, “Let me appreciate Nigeria’s efforts and achievements. Nigeria has actually provided the medicines for mass drug NTDs.

“More than 20 million Nigerians now don’t need any mass drug administration. That means they are free from the NTDs, and that’s a big achievement.”

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

23 children and 54 Others Camped In A Church, In Ondo State, Rescued By The Police

The Ondo State Police Command said a total of 77 people were found locked in the basement of a church; Whole Bible Deliverance Church located at Valentino Area of Ondo town, Ondo State, reports the Punch News. The police said that the victims comprised 23 kids and 54 others including teenagers and adults, males and females. It was alleged that the victims were kidnapped and kept in the underground apartment of the church for over six months before they were rescued. The church’s pastor and some other members are currently in the custody of the command while the police had begun investigation into the matter In a one-minute, 40 seconds video, a voice was heard saying, “There are kidnapped children found in the underground cell of a church in Valentino Area of Ondo. The pastor and some members of the church have been arrested and were also in the police patrol van.’’ One of the parents of the rescued victims, Mr Michael Olorunyomi, said that he left the church because of alleged wrong Bi...

INEC-N305bn Required To Conduct 2023 Elections

On Monday 20th December, 2021, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), through its Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu says the commission will require N305 billion to conduct the 2023 general elections. The INEC Boss, made this known in a statement during a meeting with the Senate Committee on Appropriation at the National Assembly. This amount will facilitate the electoral process by aiding the commission to prepare for the election. It will go a long way to assist in the purchase of all the election materials needed and also cover several bye-elections across the country. The INEC Chairman noted however that the commission has already received N100 billion out of the required amount for the elections. The National Assembly is yet to receive a letter from President Muhammad Buhari on his decision to give or withdraw his assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. The 30-day deadline stipulated by the constitution for the President to respond to the bill expired on Sunday...

Britain-ASDA Slashes Prices On Rice, Pasta And Baked Beans

Asda slashes prices on pasta, rice and baked beans to help ‘millions’ of Britain’s poorest families. Following a successful campaign by anti-poverty blogger and budget chef Jack Monroe, Asda has slashed the prices of hundreds of kitchen staples, helping "millions" of Brits. Last month Monroe, a former food bank user, urged supermarkets to make their cheapest food ranges more widely available after highlighting the inflation in key products such as rice and the removal of value ranges from the shelves in her local Asda in Essex. Her Twitter thread warning that official inflation figures "grossly underestimated" the impact of the current cost of living crisis on Britain's poorest families went viral and generated a media storm. In response, on Monday (February 7) Asda committed to stocking its full Smart Price and Farm Stores ranges in all of its stores and online. On Saturday (February 12), three and a half weeks after her viral Tweets, the campaigner, who has be...