No fewer than 259 villages across 23 endemic communities in four cross-border local government areas of Anambra State have commenced Post-Treatment Surveillance against River Blindness (Onchocerciasis) and Lymphatic Filariasis, also known as Elephantiasis.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, disclosed this during a press briefing in Awka to mark interventions on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the state. He identified the affected local government areas as Ayamelum, Awka North, Orumba North and Anambra East.
Dr Obidike described NTDs as a group of preventable and treatable diseases that disproportionately affect the world’s poorest populations, noting that about 1.5 billion people are affected globally.
“Neglected Tropical Diseases are a group of 21 infectious diseases that primarily affect poor and marginalized populations in tropical and subtropical regions. They often receive less attention and funding compared to major diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria,” he said.
He explained that World NTD Day is aimed at mobilising global support for the control, elimination and eradication of these diseases, in line with the NTD Road Map 2021–2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 3, which targets the end of NTD epidemics.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Lymphatic Filariasis is responsible for an estimated 25 million cases of hydrocele among men and more than 15 million cases of lymphoedema (elephantiasis) worldwide.
In Anambra State, the NTD programme currently covers four endemic Preventive Chemotherapy NTDs, namely Onchocerciasis (Isi Anya Ocha), Schistosomiasis (bloody urine and stool), Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis (intestinal worms), and Lymphatic Filariasis, which causes Elephantiasis and Hydrocele (Ibi).
Represented at the briefing by the Director of Public Health and Disease Control, Dr Afam Anaeme, the Health Commissioner said the state government, in partnership with the Carter Centre, Sightsavers and the Federal Ministry of Health, recently conducted free hydrocele surgeries. He revealed that 176 men benefited from the intervention as part of efforts to eliminate NTDs in the state.
Dr Obidike emphasised that NTDs are a critical component of global health security, noting that protecting vulnerable populations from these debilitating diseases safeguards communities and restores hope to millions.
He urged residents to promptly report cases of Elephantiasis, Hydrocele, dog bites, snakebites, Onchocerciasis nodules, Yaws, Buruli Ulcer, leprosy, Guinea Worm Disease and bloody urine to the nearest health facility.
The commissioner further stated that recent studies indicate Anambra State is approaching the elimination phase of NTDs, adding that Elephantiasis is curable when detected at the early lymphoedema stage.
“We encourage everyone to sleep under long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets to prevent mosquito bites and reduce the transmission of Lymphatic Filariasis and malaria,” he added.
Speaking on cross-border transmission of NTDs, the State NTD Coordinator, Dr Emmanuel Obikwelu, said Mectizan and Albendazole are distributed to communities located along the state’s borders with neighbouring states such as Kogi and Enugu.
He disclosed that 14 centres across Anambra State currently offer free treatment for Elephantiasis through the support of the Carter Centre, adding that patients who also suffer depression and mental health challenges receive holistic care.
Also speaking, the Carter Centre Programme Officer for Anambra State, Mrs Attamah Egeonu, commended the state government for its strong partnership, noting that the progress recorded is the result of sustained collaboration among all stakeholders.
She called on residents to become NTD ambassadors in their communities.
“We have enjoyed fruitful collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other line ministries such as Education and Local Government. This work requires collective effort. Anambra is leading, and together we can sustain this success,” she said.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Post-Primary Schools Service Commission (PPSSC), Entomological Society of Nigeria, State Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) UNIZIK, Christ the King Seminary, Nnobi, Malaria Consortium, and the Department of Planning, Research and Statistics (DPRS), among others.
The event served as a call to action for increased awareness and advocacy against Neglected Tropical Diseases. As part of the programme, students of Christ the King Seminary, Nnobi, staged a drama highlighting the causes and prevention of Schistosomiasis. The students were later commended for their active participation in the road walk and press briefing.
