5m Kaduna Residents At Risk Of River Blindness - Commissioner

 

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

The state commissioner for health, Hajiya Umma Ahmad, stated this at a news conference to commemorate the 2024 World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day held in Kaduna yesterday.

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

She said currently the state government is charting a new course of community engagement to tackle neglected tropical diseases for sustainable development.

The commissioner explained that, over the years, the country has been battling seriously to eliminate 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.

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 said.