NTDs: 5m Kaduna Residents At Risk Of River Blindness, Other Diseases

The Kaduna State government has disclosed that over five million people in the state were at risk of river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, bilharziasis, and intestinal worms.

The State’s Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma K. Ahmad, disclosed this at a news conference to commemorate the 2024 World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) held in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Hajiya Ahmad explained that the State government had been collaborating and working with all relevant stakeholders, particularly non-governmental development organisations such as SIGHTSAVERS to tackle the menace of NTDs in the State.

She said currently Kaduna State government was charting a new course of community engagement to tackling Neglected Tropical Diseases for sustainable development.

The commissioner explained that, over the years, the country had been battling seriously to eliminate the tropical diseases by taking various measures such as conducting Mass Administration of Medicines, Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention, Integrated Vector Control, Sound Sanitation, Hygiene practices with safe water supply, among others.

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The Commissioner further stated that, Nigeria is the country with the second highest burden of NTDs in the world and also contributes the highest burden in Africa with more than 120 million of its people living at the risk of one neglected tropical disease or the other.

“The World Neglected Tropical Disease NTD Day is an opportunity to re-energize the momentum to end the suffering from these 20 diseases that are caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, and toxins,” she stated.