By Abel Leonard/ lafia
The commissioner, Nasarawa state ministry of Health pharmacist Ahmed Baba Yahaya says the ministry will engage in the treatment of 560, 000 school age children and soil transmitted Helminthes diseases in the 13 local Government Areas of the state.
The commissioner made the disclosure during a press briefing in the ministry conference hall today, saying medicine will be requested and sent to Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) in the state even at the border communities for the treatment of the Disease.
He also added that the state is mindful of it’s neighbours who still struggles with the disease, fear the risk of re- infecting communities in the state through Border Local Government Areas which includes Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Kaduna, and the FCT.
Phar. Ahmed also stressed that the state Government through the ministry of health has received 199, 950 tablets of mebendazola and 850, 000 tablets of praziquantel from the federal ministry of Health for treatment of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)for School age children, enrolled and non enrolled in public and private primary and junior secondary schools in the state respectively.
He also added that “NTDs pose a serious obstacles to national and state programme affecting the objectives of Universal Health Coverage and impede poverty reduction economic growth and social development”
He further acknowledged the fact that Nasarawa state is endemic for 5 of the Neglected Tropical Diseases which includes Onchocerciasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Schistosomiasis, Trachoma and Soil Transmitted Helminths with 13 local Government Areas of the state affected with the diseases.
Bala also disclosed that with the airport of it’s supporting partner, Man- Power, infrastructure and funds are been made available for the programme, adding that the ministry has trained 390 health workers, 3, 019 teachers, 1,003 community Directed Distributors, conducted a free hydrocele Surgery for 180 patients, have set up a 7 hope groups for management of Elephantiasis patients in 7LGA, 11 social Mobilization Officers and 36 School Supervisors.
Pharmacist Yahaya however gave a plan for the year 2021, saying with the support from the ministry and the carter Centre, the state ministry intends to mobilize and train 390 health workers, 10 health Facility staff, set up more hope group with elephantiasis, 2, 540 school teachers, 13 social Mobilization officers, 737 community Directed Distributors and 42 school supervisors.
