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30 January 2020
Nigeria joined the rest of the world in celebrating the NTDs day; the first of its kind in history on 30th January 2020, with the theme: #BeatNTDs: For Good; For All.
As part of the activities to mark the day’s celebration, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health held a press briefing chaired by the Honorable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire. The press briefing, which took place at the Conference Room of the Federal Ministry of Health, had in attendance the officer in charge of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Nigeria; representatives from other partner organizations- Sightsavers, UNICEF, the Neglected Tropical Diseases Support Center (NTD-SC), TY Danjuma Foundation and other Non-Governmental Development Organizations (NGDOs).
The Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF) were also well represented by some members of its Public Health Advisory (PHA) team.
The Honorable Minister noted that the event is significant for Nigeria as it presents an opportunity to create national awareness on the magnitude of NTDs in the country, provide opportunities for stakeholders to underscore progress made as well as advocate for support with the control and elimination efforts in the fight against NTDs in Nigeria.
In the ongoing phase of the NTD plan of action in Nigeria (2013 to 2020), Nigeria has been able to achieve the elimination of Guinea worm nationally; the interruption of Lymphatic Filariasis (elephantiasis) in Plateau and Nasarawa States; the interruption of onchocerciasis (river blindness) in Kaduna, Plateau and Nasarawa States; as well as the interruption of blinding trachoma from 84 LGAs out of 112 LGAs endemic for Trachoma.
As the current cycle winds down, the Federal Ministry of Health plans to scale up its intervention on NTDs with an extension from 2021-2025. As such, the Honorable Minister of Health calls for the support of development partners in ensuring that NTD services and interventions reach the most affected populations.
NTDs are communicable diseases associated with poverty and are common in areas with poor sanitation, absence of potable water, substandard housing conditions. Although this category of disease affects over one billion people globally, the worst-hit victims reside in developing countries where the disease is prevalent. 20 disease conditions currently make up the NTD list, this includes- Guinea Worm Disease, Trachoma, Leprosy, Rabies, Noma, Yaws. Snakebite being the most recent was included by the WHO in June 2018.
