Mobilise Domestic Funding Towards Elimination Of NTDs – FG To State Govts

Government at all levels have been advised to mobilize domestic funding and take ownership of interventions targeted at the elimination of all Neglected Tropical Diseases in Nigeria.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziak Salako made the call at a ministerial news conference to commemorate the World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day in Abuja.

Dr Salako who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Daju Kachollom said the strategy involves integrating NTD campaigns with other health initiatives like malaria and immunization drives to domesticate the interventions by donors at the state and local government levels.

While highlighting the progress made in other areas, the Minister said transmission of river blindness has been interrupted in 118 local government areas, as millions of Nigerians no longer require treatment for it and other NTDs.

According to the Minister, ”The control and elimination of NTDs in Nigeria remains an important element in our drive towards the attainment of the UHC by 2030, the achievement of SDG three, as well as the eradication of poverty.”
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‎”States should ensure the creation of a budget line to mobilise the needed domestic funding and also integrate NTDs elimination activities with other disease entities to leverage the economies of scale in their state”

Also speaking, the National Coordinator Public Health Department, Dr. Fatai Oyediran stressed the need for communities to intensify efforts at tackling the real drivers of NTDs which include poverty and poor sanitation, weak health systems and a lack of political attention.

Dr. Oyediran also encouraged citizens to improve Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) practices and create more sensitization to reduce the menace of NTDs.
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In his words “It has been proven in terms of publication and scientific proof that when you practice WASH, we are going to reduce the prevalence of diseases by 30 per cent.”
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‎“The implication is that when we practice WASH very well, we will have removed 30 per cent of the burden, then we will be facing 70 per cent in terms of clinical or preventive medicine”

This year’s theme, ‘Unite, Act, Eliminate,’ aims to push NTDs to the forefront of the universal health coverage agenda.”

Florence Adewale, Edited By Grace Namiji