An NGO, Sightsavers, has called on Nigerians to regularly clean their environment in order to curb the rising cases of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the country.
Ms Grace Ajege, the Technical Manager, Surgery Antibiotics Facial Cleanliness and Environment Improvement (SAFE) of the organisation, made the call at the ongoing two-day meeting with media partners on Friday in Keffi.
Ajege particularly identified poor hygiene and sanitation as major hindrances to eliminating NTDs in communities.
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“Poor sanitation is a very big issue. People hardly keep their environment clean and it’s a major challenge.
“People co-exist with flies and mosquitoes due to dirty environment. We hardly clean and make our environment habitable.
“People defecate in the open, particularly on our water bodies and we keep heaps of waste in our neighbourhoods for long.
“So, to curb the rise in NTDs, we must promote sanitation and discourage open defecation in our communities,” she said.
Ajege stressed the need for sustained community awareness, environmental sanitation, facial cleanliness and improved access to clean water to curb the spread of NTDs.
She also called for continuous surveillance, noting that some communities previously considered free of NTDs had recorded new cases.
She said Nigeria had made significant progress toward eliminating the diseases, particularly through sustained interventions by the government, development partners, and international donors.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting, tagged “Strengthening Media Partnerships for Inclusive and Impactful Storytelling”, brought together journalists from Benue, Plateau, Kogi, Kwara, and the FCT.
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