By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Efforts to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Bauchi State gained renewed momentum as government agencies, development partners, and media professionals converged in Bauchi for a one-day advocacy engagement.
The event, jointly organized by the Federal and Bauchi State Ministries of Health and Social Welfare with support from UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, sought to strengthen media collaboration in raising public awareness and driving action against NTDs.
UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office, Nuzhat Rafique, in her goodwill message, urged journalists to amplify stories on how NTDs affect children’s health, growth, and education. She also emphasized the need for sustained government investment in clean water and sanitation to curb the spread of the diseases.
The North-East Zonal Coordinator for NTDs at the Federal Ministry of Health, Hauwa Abubakar, explained that NTDs are transmitted through insects, contaminated water, and poor hygiene. She identified seven major NTDs prevalent in Nigeria, including river blindness, elephantiasis, trachoma, schistosomiasis, whipworm, roundworm, and hookworm.
Abubakar called on the media to champion consistent public sensitization on hygiene, sanitation, and the dangers of open defecation as key strategies in ending the scourge of NTDs.
Presentations from other experts and the Bauchi State NTD Coordinator highlighted ongoing government interventions and progress towards the state’s elimination targets.