FCTA Seeks Support To Eradicate Neglected Tropical Diseases

By: Prudence Okonna

The fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) is gaining momentum as the Federal Capital Territory, Technical Advisory Committee on NTDs (FCT-STACON) has called for more support to eradicate these debilitating illnesses.

With some FCT residents still at risk, the Committee is rallying stakeholders to take decisive action to secure more funds and end the scourge by the 2030 target.

The Committee made this call during a post-inauguration meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.

Speaking during the meeting, the Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environmental Secretariat (HSES), Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, called for the support of benevolent stakeholders to improve the reach to endemic communities.

The Mandate Secretary, who was represented by the Head of the Non-Communicable Diseases Division, Public Health Department, Dr. Olubunmi Adeyemi, tasked FCT-STACON to ensure they live up to the objectives of the Committee by bringing their expertise to play.

FCT NTDs Coordinator, Dr. Eunice Ogundipe, revealed that while progress has been made, there is need for more work to be done to eradicate NTDs in FCT.

According to her, gaps have been identified the need for food for school-age children taking these drugs and inadequate medicines for other age categories.

Her words: “We have identified some gaps, including a lack of food for children who need to be de-wormed and more medicines for adults. So we are calling on good-spirited individuals, Non-governmental organisations, and the government to support the committee by providing more funds.”

Chairman FCT-STACON, Professor Yoila Malann said the Committee is looking for individuals, foundations and companies whose cooperate social responsibility can fill the gaps identified, especially for adults that do not have access to medicines who are suffering from Schistosomiasis and Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis.

The Professor of parasitology explained that more medicines are required to reach the men and women scattered in communities where some NTDs are endemic, most of whom need to be treated urgently.

His words: “Our position arising from this post-inauguration meeting is that we need the support of everyone to help us, especially individuals, foundations, and companies who can provide meals for school-age children and more medicines for other age brackets”.

Abuja Digest reports that in July, 2023, the State Technical Advisory Committee on NTDs (FCT-STACON) made up of members from different sectors, became the first state to be inaugurated to strengthen efforts aimed at eradicating NTDs.