Northern Pulse

By Stella Kabruk

The Kaduna State Government, in collaboration with Sightsavers Nigeria, on Monday inaugurated the mass administration of medicine for the prevention of river blindness in Kaduna South Local Government Area of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the exercise is designed to prevent and eradicate river blindness, known as onchocerciasis, in the state.

Speaking at the inauguration, the Director of Public Health, State Ministry of Health, Dr Abubakar Sadiq-Idris, said the administration of the river blindness medicine was for prevention, saying: “It is a very important public health intervention that improves the health and wellbeing of our people.

“We came to Kaduna South because Kaduna South is a very important LGA for us, especially in terms of partnership in health intervention.

“We are here today for a very important mission to preserve and ensure the well-being of our communities through the mass administration of medicine for the prevention and control of onchocerciasis, river blindness, in our communities.”

According to him, the state government has priorities in health interventions, “as you can see, renovation of facilities, subsidising medications, as well as bringing services close to where people are, and these are some of those interventions.”

Sadiq-Idris described river blindness as a preventable disease through drug administration.

He appreciated the Chairman, Kaduna South LGA, for the continuous support to the health sector, as well as the traditional leaders, whom he described as the gatekeepers of the community.

“Without them we will not get access; the community will not listen to what we say, but we have enjoyed the full support of our traditional leaders,” he revealed.

The director appreciated Sightsavers, which had been in Kaduna for over 50 years, adding that the organisation had been supporting communities in the prevention and control of different diseases, not just river blindness.

He called on residents to receive the medication with open arms, as it was meant to help them.

The Commissioner for Health, Umma Kaltum-Ahmed, said that medical personnel would be going from house to house to distribute the medicines.

She urged residents to cooperate with the medical staff and ensure they collect the medication, as the drug was 99.9 per cent safe.

In his opening remarks, the Chairman of Kaduna South LGA, Rilwan Hussain, said part of the administration’s agenda was to prioritise the healthcare of citizens.

He said: “Health is important because when one is healthy, he can do everything, and I want to assure residents of better health improvements in the local government.”

On her part, Prof. Joy Shu’aibu, the Country Director, Sightsavers Nigeria, said the community should take ownership of the drugs, as it would help in addressing the menace.

Represented by the State Coordinator, Shu’aibu said the organisation wanted to ensure that all eligible residents get the medicine.

“This is in line with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) global roadmap for the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs),” she noted.

Also speaking, the State Coordinator of Neglected Tropical Diseases, Zainab Haruna, described river blindness as a parasitic disease caused by microfilarial worms “which move around the human body.”