The Federal Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have called on the Gombe state government to intensify efforts on provision of clean water and ensure good sanitation, to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) by 2030.
The North-East Zonal Coordinator for NTDs at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Hajiya Hauwa’u Abubakar, made the call in Gombe during a media dialogue on NTDs elimination organised by UNICEF, held in Gombe.
She said although significant progress had been made towards ending NTDs through the state government’s commitment, supported by the Federal Government and other development partners, more needed to be done to eliminate NTDs in the state.
Hajiya Hauwa’u stated that eliminating NTDs and achieving a free status would positively impact the wellbeing of residents, especially children and women, thereby improving the economic fortunes of the state.
She, therefore, urged the state government, media, and other stakeholders to sustain the effort, expressing optimism the state could be free of NTDs by 2030.
Also speaking, Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Bauchi, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, said Gombe state is approaching a stage where preventive treatment could stop further spread of the diseases in communities.
According to her, achieving that stage would mark a major success in the fight against NTDs in the state and across the region.
Dr Rafique commended the state’s commitment to funding hygiene programmes and for continued investment in clean water, sanitation, and community health education.
She further stated that more effort is required to completely eliminate the diseases, “through integrated approach and using community-based mobilisation to promote hygiene, sanitation and access to clean water in the state.”
On his part, the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation at the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency (GSPHCDA), Dr Musa Abdullahi, confirmed that all with the exception of Akko and Kwami LGAs, the remaining nine LGAs were declared NTDs free.
He said the progress was a product of effective collaboration between the Federal Government, UNICEF, and other development partners as well as stakeholders in the state.
