By Beauty John, LAFIA
The Nasarawa state government says it is set to commence treatment of 560,000 school age children for schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminths, in an effort to eradicate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) plaguing the state.
In the same light, 390 health workers, 10 health facility staff , 2,540 school teachers , 13 social mobilization officers, set up more Hope Group for people with Elephantiasis., 737 community direct distributors , 42 school supervisors will also be mobilized and trained on NTDs.
This was disclosed to the press by the state Commissioner of Health, Pharmacist Ahmed Baba Yahaya, during the occasion of 2021 World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), commemorated in Lafia, the state capital, on Monday.
The commissioner, while revealing that schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminths, alongside Onchocerciasis, Lymphatic Filariasis and Trachoma are the five NTDs plaguing Nasarawa state, disclosed that Neglected Tropical Diseases are significantly responsible for health, social and economic burden on over 1billion people in the world over in terms of direct cost , loss of productivity, socio-economic loss and educational losses.
He stated that despite being faced with challenges in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which had impeded the smooth implementation of NTDs activities in the state, the state government, through partnership with Carter Center, made landmark achievements in 2020.
“With the support of Carter Center, the state has been able to train 3019 teachers, 390 health workers, 1,003community directed distributors, conducted free hydrocele surgery for 180 patients , train 11 social mobilization officers, trained 36 supervisors, as well as set up seven Hope groups for the management of Elephantiasis patients in seven LGAs in the state.
“ The state also received 199,950 tablets of mebendazole and 850,000 tablets of praziquantel from the Federal Ministry of Health for treatment of school age children , enrolled and non -enrolled in public and private primary and junior secondary schools in the state,” he added.
The commissioner, mindful of neighboring states such as Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Kaduna and the FCT, still struggling with these diseases , and the risk of re-infecting the state through border LGAs, said advocacy and mobilization will be made to the border LGAs.
According to him, people entering the border communities for festivities, farming , finishing and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will be properly checked before being allowed passage.
“Medicine will be requested and sent to Primary Health Care Facilities at the border communities for the treatment of such persons mentioned,” pharm Yahaya said.
The health commissioner lauded Nasarawa and Plateau states, which he said, have set wonderful pace in the fight against NTDs, by interrupting three of the diseases namely; Onchocerciasis , Lymphatic Filariasis and Trachoma.
