Group Calls On Health Stakeholders To Work Towards Eliminating NTDs

By: Prudence Okonna
To meet up with the World Health Organisation’s target of eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) by 2030, Health based group, Sightsavers Nigeria, has called on Government, and Non-governmental organizations working in the health sector to intensify efforts towards a healthier future in Nigeria.
This was contained in statement signed by Communications Associate, Sightsavers Nigeria, Joy Tarbo, in commemoration of World Neglected Tropical Disease Day 2024, Tuesday, in Abuja.
According to the statement, Sightsavers Nigeria said they need to work together to speed up progress towards eliminating NTDs, which is a barrier to health, education, and economic development.
The World NTDs day is marked January 30th annually and the 2024 theme is ‘Unite, act and eliminate through awareness and sensitization’ and Sightsavers Nigeria reaffirms its commitment to helping achieve the ambitious targets set for the next decade.
The Country Director, Sightsavers Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Isiyaku, said, the organisation stands committed to eliminate neglected tropical diseases that affect millions across the globe; adding that collective efforts are crucial in reaching the World Health Organization’s 2030 targets by ensuring no one is left behind in the journey towards universal health.
The statement reads thus: “Sightsavers Nigeria is calling for new funding, continued government leadership and support from partners to improve people’s lives, as well as their ability to contribute to their communities and the economy. In Nigeria, we are specifically calling on philanthropists and private organisations to support the fight against NTDs; their backing can make a profound impact”.
Strengthening this sentiment, National Coordinator NTDs, Dr Fatai Oyediran, emphasized, that Sightsaver’s dedication to the NTDs is commendable; noting that collaborations between NGOs, governments, and communities are imperative to accelerate progress and achieve the ambitious goals set for NTD elimination.
Abuja Digest reports that the World Health Organization confirmed that in 2023, 51 countries eliminated at least one NTD, including Benin and Mali which eliminated trachoma in 2023, Malawi which eliminated lymphatic filariasis in 2020 and trachoma in 2022 and Togo which has eliminated three NTDs.
The world is more than halfway to the WHO’s goal of eliminating 100 NTDs from countries by 2030, an incredible achievement in global health, but with more than one billion people around the world still at risk from NTDs, which indicates that there is still more to do.