18.9m saved from river blindness, says Fed Govt

The Federal Government has said that a record-breaking stop treatment decision has saved 18.9 million Nigerians in four states from river blindness. The states are: Imo, Abia, Enugu and Anambra.

While further stating that overall, Nigeria has stopped river blindness treatment for over 28 million persons in ten states, more than any other country in the world, it stressed that the country continues to register success in the fight against river blindness (onchocerciasis), a parasitic disease affecting 32 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Speaking during this year’s World Neglected Tropical (NTDs) Day, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, noted that Nigeria has about 25 per cent of all NTDs in Africa, with millions of persons at risk of lymphatic filariasis (122 million), onchocerciasis (33 million), Schistosomiasis (20.8 million), soil transmitted helminths (29.4 million), trachoma (5.3 million), and Human African Trypanosomiasis (6.5 million) people.

He said: “Substantial progress has been made in the past decade, evidenced by the Guinea Worm Disease eradication in 2013, onchocerciasis transmission elimination in Plateau and Nasarawa States in 2019, with imminent prospects of Kaduna, Kebbi and Zamfara States being free of the disease soon, leaving us with fewer endemic states, and over 28 million persons no longer needing treatment.

“We shall focus on millions of people with little or no access to prevention, treatment and care. In the roll-out of the ten-year NTD roadmap for 2021 to 2023, by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 28th of January 2021, proposed ambitious targets and the innovative approaches to tackle NTDs and provide blueprint and direction to global elimination…

The plan is an integrated approach to deliver programs with emphasis on three approaches: moving from process to impact measuring for accountability; putting in place effective multi-sectoral approach; and integration of NTDs, country ownership and political commitment for sustainability.

“106 of 126 trachoma endemic LGAs are ending treatment and attaining elimination threshold, with 30 million persons who were at risk of going blind from trachoma reducing their risks to 3.5 million.

“It is important to note that control and elimination of NTDs in Nigeria will significantly contribute to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and all hands must be on deck to achieve this.”

(Nation)