The Commissioner for Health in Kwara State, Amina El-Imam, has revealed that Nigeria accounts for 25% of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Africa, carrying the highest disease burden.
El-Imam made this statement during a news conference held to commemorate the 2024 World NTDs Day in Ilorin.
Quoting baseline surveys, El-Imam mentioned that Kwara State is endemic to NTDs, putting many inhabitants at risk.
NTDs constitute a diverse group of diseases caused by various pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasitic worms. These diseases are predominantly found in tropical areas, including sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and parts of America.
Examples of NTDs include river blindness, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, soil-transmitted helminths, leprosy, snakebite, and rabies.
El-Imam highlighted that NTDs pose significant challenges to national progress, the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), poverty alleviation, economic growth, and social development.
”The health ministry in Kwara has implemented efforts to eradicate these diseases through preventive chemotherapy, mass administration of medicines, active case search, case management, community engagement through advocacy and sensitization, as well as support monitoring and supervision,” she said.
In 2023, the Kwara NTDs program achieved progress by training 2,525 school teachers for the deworming of 569,289 school-aged children in the state.
Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, emphasized the significance of World NTDs Day in addressing the severe effects of NTDs on the well-being and livelihoods of billions globally.
She noted that NTDs serve as a constant reminder of the existing inequalities in the world and called for collective efforts to mobilise resources needed to eradicate these diseases.
