By Kemi Olatunde

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Ondo State government has reiterated its commitment towards eradicating Neglected Tropical Diseases across the length and breadth of the state.

The Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Francis Akanbiemu stated this at a two day State Advisory Committee and other stakeholders meeting on NTDs in collaboration with Mission To Save The Helpless (MITOSATH).

Akanbiemu who was represented by the Director Medical Services, Dr Paulinus Omode said elimination of the diseases requires multi-sectoral approach, noting that resources and ideas must be pooled together to achieve the desired results.

He said the diseases do not attract much attention like HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, malaria, COVID-19 etc, noting that they have put many people in a state of total or partial blindness, disability (leading to unproductive living), growth retardation and death, urging that more global attention is needed in this area.

Akanbiemu hinted that the state is the first in Nigeria to organize and put together State Advisory Committee (SACOM) and Stakeholders Meeting on NTDs and promised that the recommendations from the meeting would be used to review the State Annual Workplan for NTDs as well stimulate policy decisions.

He revealed that  the state is making significant progress in NTDs control and shifting the paradigm towards elimination through several innovative strategies, it has developed in recent times, one of which is the collaboration with World Health Organisation (Akure Office) to ensure that NTDs surveillance is effectively integrated into the Disease Surveillance an Notification Officers’ (DSNOs) activities across the LGAs. For the first time in the history NTDs control in the state, the Local government NTDs Focal Persons and DSNOs would be trained on NTDs surveillance and integration.

Chairman of the State Advisory Committee (SACOM), Professor

Mobolanle Oniya bemoaned the level at which NTDs are still being reported attributing such to poor attitude of the people towards hygienic and rejection of drugs by a segment of the society.

Oniya who said the activities of SACOM were disrupted due to COVID-19 pandemic lock down in previous years advocated radio and television enlightenment as well as the establishment of NTD clubs in schools for proper enlightenment of school pupils through peer education.

State Coordinator for NTDs, Mrs Olufunke Ajomole, said the meeting would establish and improve on inter-sectorial coordination and collaboration for NTDs elimination through integration of cross-cutting approaches and to mobilize additional resources, enhance advocacy and efficiency for improved implementation of interventions.

Also speaking the Executive Director, MITOSATH, Dr (Mrs) Fransica Olamiju who was represented by Assistance programme Officer of MITOSATH Ondo State, Mr Chidi Uche said the health and safety of the people were the top priorities of her organization.

Olamiju said the organization would continue to apply the Federal Government guidelines on safeguarding to guarantee everyone’s health and safety as evolving impacts were being monitored.

Some of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) extensively discussed at meeting were Onchocerciasis, Lymphatic filaris, Schistosomiasis, Soil transmitted helminthes, Burulli ulcer among others.

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