By Muhammad Amaan
The Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research (NITR) has urged the Federal Government and policy makers to fund the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Nigeria.
The Director-General of the institute, Mr Joachim Ajakaiye, made the call during a public lecture to commemorate the World NTDs Day organised by the Parasitology and Public Health Society of Nigeria (PPSN), Kaduna State chapter.
He explained that the funding would help NTIR and other stakeholders working to fight NTDs to create more awareness and jointly fight the menace .
The director-general said that NTDs, also called ‘the disease of the poor’ mistly affects those living in the rural areas.
Ajakaiye, however, urged,” They should not be left for the poor alone but they should be tackled collectively.”
He appealed that security should be provided to staffers working to sensitise and treat people with such diseases so as to end all NTDs by 2030.
“The burning issues concerning neglected tropical diseases is that they has totally been abandoned; we have over 20 types of these diseases all over the world.
“It has brought about a big global burden with Nigeria being the second highest burden of the diseases,” Ajakaiye said.
Similarly, the PPSN Chairman, Kaduna State chapter, Professor Ishaya Karo, stated the public lecture has its theme as: “Ask,Act and Invest on NTDs Ekimination.’
He said that the event was aimed at sensitising the public to NTDs and the ways to fight them.
Prof. Karo urged that research institutes and parasitologists must work together to fight these diseases, calling in the stakeholders to show more commitment.
While speaking, the state Co-ordinator, NTDs, Zainab Haruna, stated some of the diseases affecting the residents of the state were Schistosomiasis, Onchocerciasis, known as river blindness, and soil- transmitted Helminthiasis, known as hookworm infection.
She stated that the Ministry of Health, in partnership with Sightsavers has been treating Schistosomiasis and river blindness in endemic local government areas.
“We are treating schistosomiasis this February in 22 local government areas except Kaduna North and we are hoping for more support from the government.
“The diseases are there especially in rural environment where there are no proper water, sanitation and hygiene facilities,” she said.
The programme was supported by Sightsavers, in collaboration with the state ministry of health, NITR and other stakeholders.
