29th November, 2019
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, has restated the government’s commitment to the treatment and elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases among its citizens.
Abayomi said this on Friday during a news briefing on Mass Administration of Medicine for the Control of Schistosomiasis in Lagos State.
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by a worm that enters the skin from infected water and lays hard or sharp eggs that damages body organs as they spread.
Schistosomiasis is spread through walking, washing, bathing, drinking or swimming in contaminated water.
The symptoms of schistosomiasis include; blood in urine or stool, swollen stomach, fever, loss of weight, headache, rashes or itchy skin.
Abayomi said that neglected diseases such as Schistosomiasis causes significant implications for the wellness and wellbeing of the society and the people.
He said that the state in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, World Health Organisation (WHO) and Mission to Save the Helpless (MITOSATH), would administer medicine for the control of Schistosomiasis in the state.
To eliminate the disease, interventions in the general hygiene of the environment, nutritional status and strengthening public health systems at both the primary and secondary healthcare level would be deployed, he added.
Abayomi noted that past governments had paid little attention to neglected diseases, adding that the state would utilise its One Health Approach to improve citizens’ health and strengthen mechanisms that would eliminate neglected diseases in the state.
The commissioner said that the One Health initiative recognises that the health of the people was connected to quality of food and environment they live in to ensure wellbeing.
He said that collaborative efforts between ministries of agriculture, environment and health would assist to ensure a well-nourished people and engender a clean environment to resist diseases.
Abayomi noted that elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases was linked to delivery on some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as improving water sanitation, hygiene and reducing malnutrition.
He stressed the state’s commitment to scaling up programmes to achieve optimal health outcomes and also commended partners supporting its efforts to eliminate neglected disease in the state.
Also, Dr Francesca Olamiju, Executive Director, (MITOSATH), said that the disease commonly affected school-age children who come into contact with it during their daily chores or at play in activities involving freshwater.
She said that from the mapping of the state, seven local government areas were shown to be endemic to schistosomiasis.
Olamiju listed the areas as; Agege, Alimosho, Lagos Mainland, Ifako Ijaiye, Oshodi-Isolo, Amuwo Odofin and Ikeja, adding that five-day treatments would commence in the areas.
According to her, treatment with Praziquantel tablet would commence on Dec. 2 and would
focus on children aged five to 14 years old in the areas.
She appreciated the state for collaborating with MITOSATH to eliminate neglected disease in the state, and urged parents to cooperate with the caregivers by bringing their children for treatment.
Dr Olakunle Daramola, Director at the Federal Ministry of Health, said that public awareness and commitment to upscale hygiene would assist to eliminate neglected diseases, saying that disease-free society would catalyse development.