31st January, 2021
Yobe Government said that it carried out 1,430 successful eye surgeries in 2020 in the state.
Dr. Babagana Machina, the Executive Secretary of Yobe State Primary Healthcare Management Agency, said this on Sunday in Damaturu at an event to mark the World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day (NTDs).
The World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day is usually marked on Jan.30 annually.
Machina said that 736 eyes were operated upon in the state Specialist Hospital, Damaturu; 30 at the General Hospital, Damagum and 272 at the Potiskum General Hospital.
He added that 250 others were conducted at the Gashua General Hospital and 142 others at the Geidam General Hospital.
According to him, NTDs are endemic in Yobe with varying prevalences across the 17 local government areas (LGAs).
He also noted that reports had shown that Yobe was having the highest prevalence of trachoma in the country which usually causes blindness.
Machina, however, said that the State Government in collaboration with the various stakeholders and partners was set to achieve the targets for the control and the elimination of the NTDS in an integrated manner.
He added that the state government had also distributed Azithromycine medicine and Tetracycline eye ointment to 1.7 million out of the initial target of 2.3 million patients.
Machina commended the Health Development Support Programme (HANDs) and the other partners for assisting the state through their various interventions.
He, however, identified: insecurity, inadequate funding, late arrivals of medicines and inadequate logistics as some of the challenges affecting the exercise.
The executive secretary lauded the efforts and the commitments of all the partners and stakeholders in the fight against NTDs in the state.