FCTA Harps On Sensitization Against Tropical Diseases

The FCT Administration, Public Health Department has taken its campaign train to Secondary Schools in Garki Abuja to sensitize the students on the need to adopt preventative measures to avoid contracting tropical diseases prevalent in the Territory.

The FCT Coordinator of Neglected Tropical Diseases, NTDs, Dr. Eunice Ogundipe, said that the administration discovered that awareness on disease prevention is low in the FCT, contributing to the high burden of Lymphatic Filariasis, River Blindness and other diseases in the Territory.

She said the awareness campaign was part of activities to mark this year’s world neglected tropical diseases day.

According to her, the FCT administration has set aside drugs for deworming and other preventive measures, to be given to residents free of charge.

Dr. Ogundipe explained that the essence of coming to GSS Garki, Area 10 was to create awareness about NTDs, “we have said over and over again that many students including some parents don’t know what Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) is all about, we are here today to commemorate the 5th anniversary of World NTDs day of the FCT to scale up awareness of the burden and prevalence of NTDs in the FCT, and also to let the people know that we have the medicine to treat NTDs free of charge, many of our people they can be treated, they can be dewormed free of charge”.

Another reason is to let them know what our partners are doing by giving us free medicine free of charge, today we have dewormed a lot of students and members of staff. The target of this deworming exercise is to remove the burden of intestinal worms, many of us think that it is only children that can be affected, even adults get infected too, the essence of this deworming exercise is to reduce the burden”.

While appreciating the gesture, the Vice principal of the school, Mrs Stella Nwuka appreciated the gesture saying this would go a long way to enable the students educate others and improve their hygiene aimed at eradicating tropical diseases .

By Florence Adewale, Edited By Grace Namiji