World NTDs Day: Ondo wins national award, sensitises Ala community

By Kemi Olatunde
Ondo State has been honoured with a national award in Abuja as part of the 2025 World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Day, Weekend Hope has confirmed.
As part of the weeklong event, residents of the Ala Ajagbusi Community in Akure North Local Government Area were sensitised on the dangers posed by NTDs.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Stephen Fagbemi, a representative of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Director of Public Health, addressed the Kabiyesi of Ala, Oba Eleyin Eko, the Olu Ajagbusi, and his chiefs.
Dr. Fagbemi explained that World NTDs Day aims to raise awareness about diseases that are often neglected but continue to ravage certain areas of the state.
He revealed that the event, which is celebrated annually at the state level, is always observed under the instruction of Governor Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
The Governor, according to Fagbemi, mandated that affected communities must be visited to raise awareness about these diseases, which are too often overlooked.
Fagbemi further disclosed that the state government has been distributing medication annually across the 18 Local Government Areas to combat these diseases, urging residents to take advantage of both state and federal prevention and treatment efforts.
He expressed appreciation to the Kabiyesi for his participation in the sensitisation campaign and emphasised the need for the information to be shared at community meetings.
Fagbemi also commended the state government for its unwavering commitment to improving the health of its people, through numerous interventions and collaborations with partners such as MITOSATH, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), all of whom have supported the state’s battle against NTDs.
Mrs. Olanike Oladipupo, the State Coordinator of the Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme, raised concerns over the growing prevalence of NTDs in the state, despite the ongoing efforts.
She listed the diseases affecting the state as Schistosomiasis, Onchocerciasis, Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis, and Lymphatic Filariasis, which continue to affect certain communities.
She explained the symptoms, modes of transmission, and the need for residents to take the yearly dose provided by the government, assuring them that the medicine is both safe and effective. She also stressed the importance of good hygiene, particularly handwashing, which, according to Oladipupo, can prevent up to 80 percent of NTDs.
Mrs. Oluwasegun Inetagbo, a representative from WHO, reiterated the importance of collective efforts between the government and communities to end NTDs in the state.
She assured the people of WHO’s continued support through funding and awareness creation.
In response, Oba Eleyin Eko, the Olu of Ajagbusi, thanked the Ministry for the sensitisation programme and appealed for more staff at the community’s Primary Healthcare Centre, alongside a steady supply of medication.
He also assured the team that efforts to raise awareness in the community would continue.
The team toured the community, further educating residents on the symptoms, signs, and dangers of harbouring NTDs.