Experts Warn of Rising Threat of NTDs, Call for Stronger Sanitation
By Nasir SHU'AIBU, Bauchi
Health experts have warned of a rising public health threat as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) continue to spread across several Nigerian states, urging stronger sanitation, improved hygiene, and sustained community health interventions.
Speaking during a media dialogue in Bauchi, officials from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, led by Hajiya Hauwa Abubakar, identified communities in Nigeria as persistent hotspots for river blindness, trachoma, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminths. She attributed the spread of these diseases to unsafe water, open defecation, poor sanitation, and frequent human contact with contaminated environments.
Abubakar dismissed beliefs linking NTDs to spiritual attacks, stressing that they are medical conditions caused by parasites, flies, mosquitoes, and contaminated water. She explained that black fly bites continue to fuel cases of river blindness, while overcrowding and poor facial hygiene sustain trachoma infections.
She described schistosomiasis as a “silent killer,” noting that many parents mistake blood in urine for normal maturation rather than a sign of infection. On lymphatic filariasis, she warned that stagnant water, poor drainage, and low mosquito net usage place many families at risk of severe swelling and disability.
Participants were shown graphic images of rural victims, including blind individuals, children with distended stomachs, and adults with swollen limbs - evidence of the heavy social and economic toll NTDs impose on households and communities.
Abubakar urged communities to stop open defecation, improve personal hygiene, wear footwear, drink clean water, and use insecticide-treated nets. She appealed to the media to help dispel myths and promote accurate health information.
UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Bauchi, Nuzrat Rafique, said poverty and poor living conditions make many communities more vulnerable to NTDs. UNICEF NTDs Consultant, Hellary, revealed that Bauchi is close to eliminating major NTDs, while Nasarawa and Plateau have already achieved elimination status.
State NTDs Coordinator, Haruna Wakil, announced that the Bauchi State Government has provided budgetary support for NTDs in the 2026 fiscal year and is establishing a snakebite hospital in Duguri, Alkaleri LGA, as part of broader efforts to eliminate the diseases across the state.
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