The Federal Government has assured Health stakeholders working towards eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases in Nigeria of Government’s support towards initiative and programmes geared towards ending the diseases.
The Director and National coordinator of Neglected Tropical Diseases at the federal Ministry of Health, Fatai Oyediran was speaking at the opening of a 2-Week capacity building training on Black fly entomology’ held at the Osun state University in Osogbo.
Black fly is one of the major causes of Neglected Tropical diseases.
These include river blindness, body irritation, fever, black skin diseases, vision loss, and other critical ailments.
According to findings, 40% of 1.7 billion people affected globally by the diseases are in Nigeria.
This capacity building training is part of efforts to ensure reduction in the spread.
Participants are drawn from selected Universities, some other higher Institutions from the six geo-political zones of Nigeria and the federal ministry of Health.
Emphasis will be on advocacy against the diseases and ways to improve study of black fly entomology, its transmission and how to ensure total elimination.
29 million Nigerians no longer need Onchocerciasis after several efforts and this training aims to achieve more success.
The training was declared opened by the Vice Chancellor of the Osun State University.
It is hoped that the participants would have been more equipped after the two-week training so that they can train others in their various institutions.
