Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of conditions caused by a variety of organisms, including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins and associated with devastating health, social and economic consequences.
NTDs rank among the four most devastating groups of communicable diseases, causing severe pain, long-term disability and lead to death for more than 170,000 people per year.
They are usually classified as neglected because they have received little or no attention in terms of prevention and control for several years.
Medical experts say most people affected by NTDs live in rural areas, where houses are overcrowded and basic infrastructure such as water and toilet facilities are not available.
It is estimated that NTDs affect more than 1 billion people globally, while 1.6 billion people require NTD interventions.
NTDs include dengue, Guinea-worm diseases, sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis and leprosy.
Nigeria carries a heavy burden as one quarter of people affected by neglected tropical diseases in Africa live in Nigeria.
NTDs remain a severe problem in Nigeria, accounting for around 25 per cent of Africa’s NTD cases, where estimated200 million people at the risk of at least one of the diseases.
According to the World Health Organisation, 165 million people in Nigeria, representing 84 per cent of the population require preventive chemotherapy for at least one NTD. One on of the factors responsible for that is lack of access to clean water and sanitation.
The Sustainable Development Goals Target 3.3 projects that elimination of STDs by 2030 target. With the prevailing low access to clean water and sanitation, how close is Nigeria to achieving that target?
To realise that aim the federal government launched its 2023 to 2027 Master Plan on NTDs in January 30, 2023.
The master plan, launched by the then Minister of Health , Dr Osagie Ehanire, sought to progressively reduce morbidity, disability, and mortality due to NTDs using integrated and cost effective approaches.
Ehanire said the Ministry of Health had been able to done the epidemiological mapping of preventable NTDs in all the 774 local government areas.
He also said the NTD Programme has managed 70 per cent of 200,000 persons in the backlog for trachoma surgeries, among others.
Medical experts, however, say with most young people within the productive age, still being affected by NTDs, government and stakeholders in the health sector need to place a high priority on the elimination and prevention of the diseases.
They say although the Federal Government has made remarkable progress in eliminating NTDs, especially trachoma and river blindness, more still needs to be done in areas of improved sanitation, availability of potable water and elimination of open defecation.
Speaking at two-day media dialogue in Lagos recently, UNICEF Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Jane Bevan, said that ending open defecation is crucial to reversing the trend of NTDs.
Bevan said that practicing hand washing is a simple yet effective way to prevent these diseases.
The workshop had as its theme: “Open defecation in Nigeria and Eradicating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).
Bevan said the continued practice of open defecation, poor hygiene and lack of access to clean water significantly exacerbate the vulnerability of millions to NTDs.
She said many of the NTDs are transmitted through poor sanitation, adding that “unless we all practice safe sanitation and hygiene, there is a risk that we will all get more NTDs.
“We have been able to achieve 126 open defecation-free LGAs in the country and we are working hard to ensure more LGAs achieve open defecation-free (ODF) status.
“We are not just working toward an open defecation-free Nigeria; we are building a sustainable future where improved sanitation drives health, economic growth, and environmental resilience.
” We need the government, partners, and the private sector to join us in making Nigeria open defecation-free.
“We also need the media to assist us in sensitising the public to the dangers of open defecation.
“We must keep this campaign on the front burner”.
Also, Mrs Chizoma Opara, a Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation echoed that open defecation remained a significant contributor to the spread of NTDs.
Opara, who is also the National Coordinator of Clean Nigeria Campaign, said that the 2021 WASH National Routine Mapping (WASHNORM), revealed that 47 million people in Nigeria practice open defecation.
He said only 18 per cent of the population have access to safely managed sanitation services.
“Diseases like onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, trachoma, lymphatic filariasis, and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) are transmitted through contaminated soil and feces, perpetuating a cycle of poverty, malnutrition, and ill health.
“By addressing open defecation, we can significantly reduce the transmission of NTDs,” she said.
Echoing similar view, Mr Monday Johnson, UNICEF WASH Specialist, sought the support of stakeholders in eliminating NTDs in Nigeria.
Referencing the Nigeria Master Plan for NTDs 2023-2027, Johnson said WASH was critical to prevention and care for all the 17 NTDs, adding that NTDs could be associated with poverty.
Johnson said poor access to WASH contributed to a vicious cycle of poverty and disease, adding that NTDs could lead to catastrophic health expenditure and reduced productivity.
The WASH specialist said to eliminate NTDs by 2030, there was the need for behavioural change among the people by embracing the use of toilet and avoid open defecation.
He said that achieving open defecation free Nigeria should include the use of any form of improved toilets that prevent exposure of faeces to the environment.
Johnson advised public to disposr faeces in the toilet and avoid urinating into the river, lake or pond, among other measures.
“NTDs are a proxy for poverty which prevails among vulnerable and marginalised populations.
“NTDs and poor access to WASH contribute to a vicious cycle of poverty and disease. NTDs can lead to catastrophic health expenditure and reduced economy”, he said.
He said that the elimination of NTDs was critical to the attainment of SDGs, specifically goal 3, which is meant to guarantee healthy living and promote wellbeing.
They said that with six years before the 2030 target, campaign against open defecation is crucial for reversing the trend of NTDs. (NAN)
