The Centre for Transdisciplinary Research in Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, University of Lagos, has said Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest burden of Neglected Tropical Diseases.
While marking the 2023 Day Celebration, Director of the Centre, Prof. Wellington Oyibo, said that NTD was attached to poverty, saying, if poverty was not conquered, it might not subsist.
He said, “Not much is done to significantly tackle NTDs in Nigeria, they are diseases caused due to lack of infrastructures and social amenities.
They don’t seem to cause immediate acute pain, people with the disease may not know they have it but over time; NTD poses a great health risk. For instance, schistosomiasis will eventually lead to liver disease, and poor cognition and there is female genital schistosomiasis which will affect women if not treated.
Though it is not yet being taught in schools. NTDs lead to stunted growth, poor learning capacity, river blindness, and others.
He explained that there was an elimination period of NTDs stipulated in 2030, saying a systematic approach was required to combat them.
Oyibo said, “UNILAG will bring to bear, through the Centre for Transdisciplinary Research in Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases use knowledge to combat NTDs which is critical to elimination as we deploy transdisciplinary research and multi-sectorial approaches in accelerating efforts to achieve the NTD elimination targets. Our research, development and implementation activities will no doubt support this process.”
Also speaking, Prof. Akande Idowu who said his fieldwork was in schistosomiasis, explained that there was no pharmaceutical interest in NTDs.
“To get the drugs to the people is a challenge as the various diseases are still there. I want you to advise researchers to pick interest in NTD as a research proposal as most of these diseases are neglected because you don’t find it in Europe.”
