By Kemi Olatunde

The Ondo State Government has treated 1,489,692 eligible individuals across onchocerciasis-endemic Local Government Areas (LGAs) with Ivermectin, achieving 100 percent geographic coverage in affected communities, The Hope has gathered.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Awolowo Ajaka, disclosed this while delivering his keynote address during a one-day Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)/Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) advocacy meeting in Akure on Wednesday.

According to him, addressing Neglected Tropical Diseases in the state is a vital component of sustainable development, noting that controlling NTDs will contribute to poverty reduction, improved health, gender equality, education, clean water, and reduced inequality, which align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Commissioner stated that the state government has continued to partner with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, alongside implementing partners, in waging war against these diseases.

He revealed that 584 primary healthcare centres, 24 secondary health facilities, and over 38 private hospitals are administering treatment for NTDs such as Lymphatic Filariasis, Onchocerciasis, Schistosomiasis, and Soil-Transmitted Helminths in Ondo State.

Speaking further, he said: “This year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) supported the state in Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) in four endemic wards of Akoko North East Local Government Area, triggering 11,000 households. Over 100 communities have been confirmed as open defecation-free out of the 186 communities triggered.”

The representative of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, and Director of Public Health, Dr Stephen Fagbemi, expressed appreciation to partners for their collaborative efforts toward the elimination of these diseases in the state and called for more support.

While urging stakeholders to work together in eradicating NTDs, he assured them of the government’s support to end the diseases.

A representative of the Ministry of Planning and Budget, Mr Monday Adebusoye, assured attendees of the government’s support for the programme in the state, noting that Governor Aiyedatiwa has promised the prompt release of funds for the initiative. He added, “There will be improvements in the release of funds for activities in the state.”

The team lead from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs Imaobong Umah, appreciated the state’s efforts in eliminating these diseases. She appealed to the Ministry of Education to include deworming, an NTD-related activity, in the school calendar.

Calling on stakeholders to unite in eliminating NTDs by 2030, she stressed the need for improved sanitation and water hygiene among residents of the state.

UNICEF representative Mr Monday Johnson, while noting that the event aimed to discuss the fate and future of NTDs in the state, lamented the neglect of NTDs in budget planning and called for funding at all levels to ensure their elimination through treatment therapy and prevention.

According to him, behavioural change, blocking transmission routes, and preventing the diseases from persisting in the environment are major ways to stop their spread. He emphasised the need for collaboration between the Ministry of Health, RUWASSA, and the Ministry of Environment to tackle the issue.

He added: “Most of these diseases keep reoccurring due to the traditional and social lifestyles of residents,” calling for proper planning and funding for mass medicine distribution. He urged stakeholders to put measures in place to achieve the target of eliminating NTDs.

The General Manager of RUWASSA, Engr Rotimi Oladimeji, stressed the need for change in the programme, adding, “There should be follow-up support for partners’ programmes.”

He explained that the ministry has provisions for eradicating these diseases in the riverine areas of the state, stating, “In 2025, we aim to eradicate open defecation and end NTDs in three Local Government Areas of the state.”

He called for more support from partners, especially in the areas of technical assistance and monitoring.

The representative of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mr Olatunde Omoniyi, assured attendees of the agency’s commitment to improving residents’ health. He also called for collaboration among stakeholders to enhance health outcomes across the country.

A representative from the Ministry of Water Resources, Public Sanitation, and Hygiene, Mrs Akintade Funmilola, stated that the government has made efforts to provide potable water to residents.

She noted that eliminating NTDs would reduce disease prevalence in communities through access to clean drinking water and the adoption of proper hygiene practices, such as regular handwashing with soap and water.

In her presentation on progress in the state, the State Coordinator for NTDs, Mrs Olanike Oladipupo, stated that the state had organised the 2024 World NTDs Day, vector control programmes, and capacity-building sessions for health workers as part of its efforts to control and eliminate NTDs.

According to her, four NTDs are prevalent in the state: Onchocerciasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Schistosomiasis, and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis. She noted that the state has embraced the use of ICT applications to ensure proper data capturing during NTD interventions, among other measures.