The Health and Development Support Programme (HANDS), in collaboration with the Kano State Government, has reiterated its commitment to eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in seven identified endemic Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
This was disclosed by HANDS Kano State Lead, Adara Danjuma, during a one-day enhancement meeting on planning and coordination for Social Behavioural Communication Change (SBCC).
The programme, held in collaboration with the Kano State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA), had Danjuma acknowledge the Ministry of Health’s strides against NTDs, but underline the urgency of stepping up actions to completely eliminate the five identified in the state.
According to him, these diseases include schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, trachoma and soil-transmitted helminths (STH).
“Schistosomiasis was prevalent across the 44 Local Government Areas in Kano, but intensive efforts have reduced its spread to 33 LGAs. Lymphatic filariasis has been reduced to four LGAs.
“Onchocerciasis has remained in 18 LGAs since it was discovered, trachoma has reduced from 10 LGAs to zero, while STH has remained in the 17 LGAs where it was found,” he said.
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Danjuma noted that Karaye, Kiru, Kano, Madobi, Rogo, Sumaila and Kura LGAs remain endemic for NTDs. He called for urgent measures to curb open defecation, stagnant dirty water, unhygienic environments and poor sanitation in these areas to prevent escalation.
“Kano State is currently grappling with numerous challenges hindering the comprehensive elimination of NTDs through Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives.
“These challenges include the lack of coordination and information sharing between WASH and NTDs sectors, and insufficient capacity among health workers and professionals to deliver comprehensive information on NTDs-WASH collaboration,” he stated.
He stressed that raising public awareness of the role of WASH in eliminating NTDs and strengthening existing WASH structures in endemic communities would make a significant difference.
Danjuma explained that the NTDs/WASH collaboration aims to sustain gains already achieved through the Preventive Chemotherapy (PC) NTDs approach, and emphasised the need for synergy among stakeholders to achieve the desired results.
“The project is targeting communities with low levels of sanitation in Karaye, Kiru, Kano, Madobi, Rogo, Sumaila and Kura LGAs,” he added, noting that HANDS has so far conducted more than 20,000 trichiasis surgeries, with hydrocele surgeries ongoing.
On his part, the Managing Director of RUWASA, Engr. Shamwilu Abdulkadir Tsamiya—represented by the agency’s Mobilisation Manager, Ahmad Shamaki—expressed delight at reports indicating significant progress in the endemic LGAs.
“At the end of this meeting, stakeholders will understand their specific roles in SBCC-WASH-NTDs activities. Stakeholders will also plan strategies, timelines and monitoring approaches to achieve the project’s goal of NTDs elimination,” Abdulkadir said.