The Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) National Coordinator at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Nseobong Akpan, has said that the country is still confronted by the challenges posed by 14 out of the 20 neglected tropical diseases listed by the World Health Organisation. Though Akpan identified 15 of these diseases in Nigeria, Premium Times‘ findings have revealed that one of them, Guinea worm, has since been eliminated.
Akpan said, “It is estimated that 122 million people – that is two out of every three Nigerians – are at risk of one or more of these NTDS.” NTDs are a group of 20 disease conditions that are common in tropical or subtropical regions and are closely associated with poverty, poor sanitation, lack of safe water sources, substandard housing conditions, and deficient healthcare access.
Akpan said the diseases are called “neglected” because they tend to affect the world’s poorest and received less attention than other diseases. The diseases are also said to cost developing economies billions of dollars every year.
Meanwhile, in January 2021, the WHO said it has rolled out a 10-year roadmap for NTDs, which it claims proposes ambitious targets and innovative approaches to tackling the diseases
