The Nigerian Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako has affirmed that over two hundred million Nigerians are at risk of contracting Neglected Tropical Disease, NTDs with one hundred and sixty-five million requiring preventive chemotherapy.
Dr Salako who stated this in a keynote speech delivered at the commemoration of the 2025 World NTDs Day in Abuja, regretted that Nigeria accounts for about 25 per cent of the cases in Africa.
The 2025 World NTD Day with the Theme: World NTD Day, “Unite, Act, Eliminate NTDs”, underscores the urgency of collective action in tackling the 21 diseases classified as NTDs, saying these diseases, caused by various pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi, disproportionately affect marginalised communities with limited access to healthcare, according to him.
Dr Salako emphasised the federal government’s commitment to global NTD elimination efforts, citing the country’s alignment with the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2021–2030 roadmap. The Minister highlighted notable progress made by Nigeria, including the eradication of Guinea Worm disease in 2013, the elimination of Onchocerciasis (River Blindness) in Plateau and Nasarawa states, with transmission interrupted in eight others, and the reduction in the prevalence of trachoma infection by 84 percent.
He also said Lymphatic Filariasis treatment is no longer required for 39.5 million people across 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“NTDs are both communicable and non-communicable diseases, mostly prevalent in children and women and associated mainly with poverty, poor sanitation, unsafe water supply, and substandard housing conditions”. He said.
“Nigeria has developed and is implementing its NTDs master plan for 2023–2027, serving as a key advocacy tool to achieve the 2030 targets”. He added.
The Minister opined that despite these achievements, acknowledged that NTDs remain a low priority on Nigeria’s healthcare agenda and urged state governments to allocate adequate funding and integrate NTD elimination into broader health initiatives.
He charged development partners, the media, and civil society organisations to sustain awareness and advocacy for NTD prevention and control while reiterating that eliminating NTDs was crucial for achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030 and meeting Sustainable Development Goal 3.
Earlier, the Country Director of CBM Global Nigeria, Abdulazeez Musa, stressed the need to reflect on the millions of lives affected by NTD and children whose dreams and potential are curtailed by preventable and treatable diseases such as river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, and trachoma. Musa noted that these diseases are not just a public health issue but a social justice issue.
On his part, the National President of IDEA-Nigeria, Mr Peter Iorkighir, expressed his displeasure over the prolonged unavailability of life-saving Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) medications in Nigeria, describing the situation as a human rights violation.
Noting that leprosy is curable, he regretted that “yet thousands remain untreated due to unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles”.
UNICEF Consultant, Hilary Adie, underscored the importance of clean water and proper sanitation in eradicating diseases associated with poor hygiene.
He said, “Thank you to the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigerian government for providing a Clean Nigeria Campaign office to ensure communities become open-defecation-free.”
Recall that World NTD Day, which is observed annually on January 30, aims to raise awareness and mobilise action to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases, which affect the world’s most vulnerable populations.
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