Ondo, Ekiti, Osun poised to combat NTDs
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“We are in collaboration with various multi-national agencies, among which is Mitosath, working with Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ESPHCDA), to fight NTDs,” Filani said.
The governments of Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states are prepared to respond to cases of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), their health officials have said.
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are viral, parasitic and bacterial diseases that mainly affect the world’s poorest people.
They are also regarded as a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in about 149 countries globally and affect more than one billion people across the world.
The diseases include Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis), Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH), Onchocerciasis (River blindness), Trachoma (Granular Conjunctivitis) and Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia).
Others are Rabies, Leprosy, Yaws, Snakebites, Leishmaniasis, Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), Mycetoma and Fascioliasis.
Investigations by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the states show that the government and its international partners including Mithosath and UNICEF have sustained the response to NTDs through sensitisation of the populace, provision of potable water, treatment and ensuring clean environments.
The Ondo State Coordinator of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), Mrs Olanike Oladipupo, informed that the state government was in collaboration with others to combat the diseases.
In an interview with NAN in Akure Oladipo said “There is collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure that everybody in the state has potable water to drink and use.
“We do enjoin our people to avoid the use of stream or ocean water. People can easily contract infections or diseases such as schistosomiasis and onchocerciasis from such sources because black flies lay their eggs there.”
Also, the Ekiti Government says modern best practices for sustaining quick responses and preparedness to outbreaks of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), among others, are being adopted by the state.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani made this known in an interview with the NAN in Ado-Ekiti.
He said Neglected Tropical Diseases, NTDs are not new and as such are being tackled headlong
“We are in collaboration with various multi-national agencies, among which is Mitosath, working with Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ESPHCDA), to fight NTDs,” Filani said.
He assured that for now, Neglected Tropical Diseases are under control in the state.
NAN
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