A Professor of Parasitology, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Chiedu Felix Mafiana
has called for a comprehensive policy framework that would help to control Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) in Nigeria.
Mafiana made the call in Abuja on Thursday, while delivering the 23rd inaugural lecture of NOUN, titled; “Audacity of Parasites And The Imprudence of Man.”
He said the increasing incidence of tropical diseases result from deterioration in public health infrastructure, lack of clean water and unsanitary conditions, while recommending the use of mass drug administration for the control of the diseases.
The University don also stressed the need for increased funding support from non-governmental
development organisations to tackle the disease.
He recommended thus; “A comprehensive policy framework should be put in place to provide preventive chemotherapy packages and to develop, test, and distribute a new generation of tools to control these diseases. This framework is an important model in disease control and poverty reduction;
“Educating the at-risk population on all environmental factors that may reduce their risk, eliminating areas of standing water, where mosquitoes breed, will reduce the risk of mosquito- borne diseases, or sleeping under a treated bed net will reduce the risk of diseases carried by flies that circulate at night.
“Travellers to areas where insect-borne NTDs are widespread should ensure to wear protective clothing, use insect repellent, and sleep under a treated bed net.
“There must be an encouragement for a continuous assessment of knowledge gaps in the bionomics and epidemiology of disease-agents.
“There should be a continuous improvement in research funding at our local level,” he added.
While commending the Vice-Chancellor of the institution for research support and improvement of laboratories in the university, he reiterated the need to sufficiently empower Faculty of Health Sciences to initiate/establish consortia, involving other disciplines in the university for holistic health research in any of the NTDs in communities around the catchment areas of the University.
He further condemned some section of the political class in the country who has assumed some physical and physiological characteristics of parasites.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Olufemi Peters commended the guest lecturer for throwing more light and raising concern on the need to give attention to the disease.
