Pulse.ng : KDSG lauds Makarfi LGA’s support to end river blindness

CDD administering Ivermectin drugs to children at Makarfi Local Government Area to prevent river blindness

By Aisha Gambo

The Kaduna State Government has expressed satisfaction over the administration of ‘Ivermectin’, the drug that prevents river blindness in the state.

The state’s Director, Public Health, Abubakar Sadik, made the commendation on Tuesday while monitoring the house-to-house administration of Ivermectin drugs to residents of Makarfi Local Government Area of the state.

He said that the mass administration of drugs was a collaborative effort of the state government, development partners, Sightsavers and the Federal Ministry of Health.

The director added that “it is something that government is interested in because we can use this opportunity to prevent people from being victims of preventable blindness in our communities.

“This medicine will help us in breaking the chain of transmission and also help us eliminate river blindness in our communities.

“The exercise is going on smoothly, the reception from the people in the community is positive. People are taking the medication
and there is no report of rejection.”

He said that the drugs would reach a significant proportion of the targeted population, noting that adequate provision would be made
in subsequent interventions to reach more people.

Representative of Sightsavers, Gaiya Nock, said the Community Directed Distributors (CDD) were doing their work efficiently, as he expressed delight over
the acceptance rate of the people, which he said showed that the people were aware of the importance of the drug.

One of the CDD officers, Khadija Abdullahi, who was seen administering the drug, said the beneficiaries are adults and children who are five years and above.

She said “people welcomed us and took the medicine without hesitation; they all want the medicine; more drugs should be provided so as to
reach more children.”

Meanwhile, some residents commended the state government and Sightsavers for the intervention, saying the administration of the drug was timely.

Hussaini Ayuba-Gazara, who represented the traditional leader of Gazara area, said his family had taken the drug and would no longer live in fear of river blindness.

He urged other residents to avail themselves of the opportunity before the end of the exercise, which would run until Nov. 15.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that onchocerciasis or river blindness, is a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of small black flies
that breed in rapidly flowing streams and rivers.
The parasitic worm is spread by the bites of a black fly of the simulium genus.

Usually, many bites are required before infection occurs.

The flies live near rivers, hence the common name of the disease. Once inside a person, the worms create larvae that make their way out to the skin, where they can infect the next black fly that bites the person. (NAN)