Stakeholders emphasize the need for a better commitment to the treatment of neglected tropical diseases

The need for more zeal for political engagement, through high-level advocacy and awareness-raising, for the visibility of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) has been highlighted.

The allegation was made by the Zonal Coordinator of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), Federal Ministry of Health, Ministry of Health, NTD’s Control/Elimination Program, North East Zone, Hauwa Abubakar in a keynote speech at the celebration of the World NTD 2023. Day themed: Invest in Neglected Tropical Diseases #ACT NOW #ACT TOGETHER held at Dajin Village in Tafawa Balewa LGA in Bauchi State.

Hauwa Abubakar emphasized that in order to pay attention to the NTDs, support from counterparts should be sought through mobilization of resources.

She also said that there should be stronger integration and cross-sectoral collaboration between NTDs-WASH through active involvement of line ministries such as Environment, Water Resources, Education, Information, National Home Grown School Feeding (NHGSF) and others.

In her view, the agencies involved should leave no one behind by having and implementing a disability agenda, while more money should be released by funders and the government to scale up MMDP interventions to other endemic LGAs.

She added that there needs to be awareness of behavior change communication (BCC) communities in the LGAs in the state for hygiene sustainability.

“It is important to state that the activities of NTDs in Bauchi State have produced tremendous results ranging from trachoma elimination in trachoma endemic LGAs, passed several pre-transmission assessment studies conducted over the years, in lymphatic filariasis interventions, performed epidemiological studies for onchocerciasis interventions,” said Hauwa.

She added that “all endemic LGAs for schistosomiasis have migrated to ward level in terms of treatment, to reinforce the schistosomiasis paradigm shift for elimination as recommended by the World Health Organization.”

Hauwa Abubakar emphasized that “and more interestingly, the state had scaled up to MMDP interventions, and these included TT operations in all endemic LGAs, Hydrocele operations and lymphedema management in some LGAs, snakebite creation and management, and Yaw’s identification and management, all with support from Mission to Save the Helpless (MITOSATH) and Health and Development Support (HANDS).

On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health, Department of NTDs, the Northeast Zonal Coordinator congratulated all stakeholders who have continued to support the campaign and expressed sincere appreciation to partner NGOs (MITOSATH and HANDS) for the tremendous support for NTD eradication in Bauchi State and in Nigeria in general.

She also appreciated the NTD control team in the state for taking charge of ownership and tireless effort in eliminating NTDs.

In her comments, MITOSATH program manager Esther Ijeoma complained that NTDs continue to suffer from a lack of attention from government and other agencies, and said her NGO will continue to lend a helping hand in bringing attention to NTDs.

Esther Ijeoma praised the Bauchi State Government through the BASPHCDA, which is paying attention to NTDs by making drugs available to victims in all PHCs in the state.

READ FROM ALSO NIGERIAN STAND