Over 5 Million Residents At Risk Of River Blindness In Kaduna – Govt

Kaduna State government says over five million residents risk contracting River Blindness, lymphatic filariasis, bilharziasis, and intestinal worms.

The alert was raised by the Kaduna State Government Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma K. Ahmad while addressing a press conference to commemorate 2024 World Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) in Kaduna on Tuesday.

“Currently, Kaduna State government is charting a new course of community engagement to tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases for sustainable development.”

Hajiya Ahmad said the State government was collaborating with all relevant stakeholders like the Non-Governmental Development Organizations called Sightsavers in tackling the menace of NTDs in the State.

She noted the challenge faced by Nigeria, over the years, in trying to eliminate such tropical diseases.

Some measures, he stated that had been adopted included conducting mass administration of medicines and morbidity management.

Others, she pointed out, were disability prevention, integrated vector control, sound sanitation and hygiene practices with safe water supply.

“Every 30th January has been set aside by the World Health Organization (WHO) to sensitize all Global communities on the burden of NTDs which affects more than 1 billion people across the globe with about 149 countries faced with these diseases and Africa bearing about half of the global burden.”

”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.”