Journalists in Nigeria have been urged to raise awareness of Neglected Tropical Diseases, particularly among the downtrodden, as a key strategy to eliminate diseases in the country.
The NTD National Coordinator at the Federal Ministry of Health, (FMoH), Dr Nseobong Akpan at a media dialogue on NTD control in Nigeria said most Nigerians were not aware of NTDs and urged media to educate people on the diseases and the dangers they constitute to human life.
Reporters and editors drawn from traditional and new media attended the 2-day media dialogue held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
UNICEF Communication Specialist, Dr Geoffrey Njoku said the media dialogue was designed to furnish journalists with factual information about NTDs and urged them to come up with impactful reports that would prompt positive action and warrant expected results.
Speaking further, Akpan noted that NTDs are common among the low income earners as the diseases affect the poor mostly because of the unhygienic condition of living in the slums and rural areas. He said people living in unhygienic environment tend to develop NTDs.
He also urged journalists to do more in sensitising people about NTDs. He said “more attention has been given to malaria, tuberculosis and HIV because of awareness. NTDs are endemic in all states in Nigeria but only very few Nigerians are aware of this”.
He said the Federal Government is doing a lot in tackling NTDs and urged State and Local Governments in Nigeria as well as communities across the country to lend their supports by contributing to the efforts, particularly in the aspect of Water Sanitation And Hygiene (WASH).
UNICEF WASH Specialist, Dr Bioye Ogunjobi said UNICEF is funding mass administration of medicine to those affected by NTDs and also monitoring how the drugs are distributed and how those that recieved the drugs used them.
He said UNICEF is also supporting WASH NTD integration by facilitating save sanitation practices in endemic communities since most of the NTDs are (WASH) related.
“We want the media to create more awareness of NTDs and we want the policy makers to understand why they need to invest more in NTDs control interventions. In most of the states, NTD team does not have fund for any activity and we want this to change. Unless this changes, we might not be able to eliminate NTDs in Nigeria”
Ogunjobi called on government at all levels to increase their investment on NTDs so that the diseases would be eliminate in the country.
