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A victim of Lymphatic Filariasis
By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
Available records revealed that a total of 987,635 were treated of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Bauchi state in the year 2021.
Some of the NTDs which are classified into three: PharmachoChemotheraphy (P-C), Case Management (C-M) and Innovative Disease Management (IDM) include: Lymphatic Filariasis; Onchocerchiasis/Trachoms; Schistosomiasis.
The record made available to Journalists by the Directorate of NTDs in the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BASPHCDA) have it that the treatment was carried out in 5 LGAs of the state which are: Kirfi, Bogoro, Warji, Toro and Giade.
According to the record, the target audience for the treatment are mostly children above 5 years considering that they are the most vulnerable to the diseases.
Meanwhile, It has been observed that poverty is the main cause of illnesses that are derived from Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) which are preventable and treatable when a person is infected.
The observation was made by the North-East Zonal Coordinator of NTDs, Hauwa Abubakar while speaking at the commemoration of the 2022 World NTDs Day held at the PHC, Tashan Durumi in Toro LGA of Bauchi State on Friday.
Hauwa Abubakar also said that dirty environment is additional cause of the diseases lamenting that filthy atmosphere normally aggravate such situations because according to her, “people feel comfortable in filthy environment thereby causing problems for themselves”.
The Officer of Federal Ministry of Health further said that the NTDs normally are common with rural dwellers who do not have access to medical facilities thereby not having access to the drugs to combat the diseases.
As a way out, she encouraged people to be clean and have clean environment, get access to health facilities to get the required drugs, develop the habit of sleeping under insecticide treated mosquito nets and eat healthy foods to build up their immune system.
She also challenged government at all levels endeavor to pay counterpart funding to support what development partners are bringing as well as support NGOs that are health inclined as well as formulate policies that will make accessibility to drugs for treatment easy for the affected patients.
In a goodwill Message, the Executive Director of an NGO, Mission To Save the Helpless (MITOSATH), Dr. Francisca Olamiju said that One of the main goals of the international NTD day celebration is to raise awareness about NTDs worldwide and to remind us that there is still work to be done in the elimination of NTDs,
Represented by Bauchi state Coordinator of MITOSATH, Esther Ijeoma, the ED encouraged all stakeholders not to relent in the fight to end the neglect saying that the theme of this year’s World NTD day is ‘ACHIEVING HEALTH EQUITY TO END THE NEGLECT OF POVERTY-RELATED DISEASES’ .
According to her, “As we commemorate World NTD Day today, we appreciate FMOH, our state partners, and our donors the ENDFund and MDP for their kind support.We urge you all to follow all of the Covid 19 preventive measures” .
Francisca Olamiju said that, “The health and safety of our staff, stakeholders, FMOH, SNTDs, LNTDs Frontlines, and communities are top priorities at MITOSATH. MITOSATH as a supporting partner will do all within her best abilities to support the NTD elimination goals. We urge you all to be part of the effort as we jointly eliminate NTDs in Nigeria and globally. Together we end the neglect”.
Another NGO, Health and Development Support Programme (HANDS) disclosed that it has conducted community outreach on Trachomatous Trichiasis (TT) surgery in the state in collaboration with the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
