About 122 million Nigerians are at risk of one Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) or another and many Nigerians need preventive, chemotherapy for at least one NTD.

However, the Federal Government has restated its commitment to ensuring the elimination of NTDs by 2030.

About $18.7 million is required by Nigeria for five years to eliminate blinding trachoma, ensure that 22 states endemic for Onchocerciasis no longer need treatment, as well as achieve 62 per cent coverage for morbidity management of Lymphatic Filariasis in line with the World Health Organisation?s NTD Roadmap 2030.

Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, who disclosed this, yesterday, in Abuja while briefing on the forthcoming World NTDs Day, said over one billion people globally representing 12.5 per cent of the world population are affected by NTDs across 149 countries.

He observed that Africa accounts for about half of the global burden while Nigeria accounts for about 25 per cent of the cases in the continent.

Salako stated that NTDs were both communicable and non-communicable diseases, mostly prevalent in children and women, and largely associated with poverty, poor sanitation, unsafe water supply and substandard housing conditions.

The minister observed that the roll-out of the 10-year NTDs roadmap (2021?2030) by the WHO set ambitious targets and innovative approaches to tackle NTDs and provide a blueprint for global elimination.

According to him, the plan promotes an integrated approach to delivering programmes with an emphasis on three significant pathways: moving from process to impact measuring for accountability, putting in place an effective multi-sectoral integrative approach across NTDs and promoting country ownership cum political commitment for sustainability.

Nigeria, he added, continues to support efforts to engage with other disease-endemic countries, key stakeholders and partners in consonance with the WHO roadmap.

He observed that over the last few years, some progress had been made by Nigeria, including the eradication of guinea worm in 2013, weaning of 29 million people of ivermectin treatment in 10 transmission zones (states) in the country, elimination of Onchocerciasis in two states (Plateau and Nasarawa) and interruption of transmission in addition eight states (Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara, Delta, Imo, Abia, Enugu and Anambra).

Salako added that about 39.5 million people across 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) no longer required Lymphatic Filariasis treatment, adding that Nigeria achieved a reduction in prevalence in the at-risk population of trachoma infection by 84 per cent.

However, the President of IDEA-Nigeria, Peter Terver, who represented people affected by NTDs, said there had been stock out of Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) medications being used for the treatment of leprosy in Nigeria for over one year, leaving over 3,000 diagnosed individuals, including 800 children, without treatment due to unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles

Terver urged the Federal Government to immediately remove regulatory barriers preventing the supply of MDT, stressing that an uninterrupted flow of medications must be guaranteed to prevent further disabilities and suffering.

The Country Director of CBM Global Nigeria, Abdulazeez Musa, described this year?s theme, ?Act Now. Act Together, Invest in NTDs?, as a clarion for all to act and recognise that time is of the essence, as delayed action leads to lost lives, diminished livelihoods and prolonged suffering. (The Guardian)

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