FG, Sightsavers Record Breakthrough In Fight Against NTD

The federal government, in collaboration with Sightsavers and other partners have recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako made this known in Abuja at the close of a key project funded by the Gates Foundation.

The project supported by the Gates Foundation and managed by Sightsavers, began in 2022 with the core mission of assess and accelerated stoppage of Ivermectin mass treatment for two debilitating diseases: Lymphatic Filariasis, also known as Elephantiasis, and Onchocerciasis, or River Blindness.

Dr. Salako, who expressed satisfaction that Nigeria has not just met but smashed its targets of accelerating treatment to eliminate the two tropical diseases, said the initial goal was to take 27 million Nigerians off Ivermectin treatment by 2024, a sign that disease transmission was ending.

He affirmed that 31.1 million people no longer require treatment for Lymphatic Filariasis, and 16 million are freed from Onchocerciasis treatment making a target of a combined total of over 47 million people free from Neglected Tropical Diseases in thirteen states.

In practical terms, this means Nigeria conducted 148% of its target assessments for Lymphatic Filariasis and 150% for Onchocerciasis.

The Minister described this as putting Nigeria in an “advanced stage” towards the global goal of ending the Neglected Tropical Diseases by 2030.

In her remark the Country Director Sightsavers Nigeria, Professor, Joy Shuaibu explained that beyond the numbers, the project strengthened the health system, upgraded four national laboratories, trained hundreds of health workers in field surveys and lab techniques.

Professor Shuaibu said this had paved the way to develop new national policies for handling medical samples and better service delivery.

While highlighting the challenges faced during the implementation, the National Coordinator, NTDs, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Fatai Oyediran, stressed that some patients were over burdened as a result of taking the routine drugs.

Florence Adewale, Edited By Grace Namiji