No be small thing, my people! Kwara State don shine for health matter, as dem don achieve over 90 percent coverage on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Dis one no be small feat, e don surpass the national target and even wetin World Health Organisation (WHO) de recommend. Na Dr. Amina Ahmed-El-Imam, di Commissioner for Health, carry dis gist come and e sweet for belle!
For one better event wey dem hold for Ilorin to mark 2026 World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, she tell us say na constant mass drug administration campaigns wey dem dey do across di 16 Local Governments for di state make dis achievement possible. Dem sabi say NTDs dey affect plenty people for poverty level, but now as dem don disrupt transmission, the state don collect big health milestone!
Di World NTDs Day dey celebrated every January 30, na to remind us say plenty people still dey suffer from wetin dem fit treat or prevent. Di theme for dis year, “Unite, Act, Eliminate NTDs”, dey call for everybody make dem join body to tackle dis wahala. E no dey okay at all as these diseases dey hold back plenty families and children from reaching their full potential.
Dr. Amina no hide back as she yarn about di silent sickness wey dey run amok for di communities, like soil-transmitted helminths, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocerciasis. E be like say these sickness don dey rob our pikin dem and families, but with dis new achievement, di future be like e go bright small.
She also yan say dem launch Community-Directed Treatment with Ivermectin for onchocerciasis since 1999. Na serious effort dem don dey put for di past five years, and now, dem don manage to stop di transmission for all di 16 Local Government Areas. She even talk say dem do survey wey show say over 3,000 black flies wey dey carry di sickness all turn negative.
For di event, Dr. Emmanuel Eyitayo wey be WHO Coordinator for Kwara State come add him own chorus, e lament say about one billion people worldwide still dey live with di risk of NTDs. But him still talk say di diseases dey preventable and treatable. Him gree say by December 2025, 22 countries don eliminate at least one of di NTDs.
Mrs. Christiana Bamgboye wey be State NTDs Coordinator still join mouth for di matter, she talk say di annual event na to create awareness about di suffering wey dem dey cause. E no too dey get attention, but she use di chance to advice people make dem no dey swim for rivers anyhow and make dem seek medical attention when e dey necessary. She share some of di NTDs wey dey common for di state like Schistosomiasis, Soil-transmitted helminths, Lymphatic filariasis, and Onchocerciasis.
Nigeria dey try, and Kwara state dey lead di war against NTDs with all dis efforts. Make we all rally around and support our people for health matters!
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