The Federal Government said insecurity, diversion and theft of medicines are threatening the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases in the country.
The National Coordinator for NTDs in the Federal Ministry of Health, Fatai Oyediran, who disclosed this in an interview, also said paucity of funds were challenges facing the fight against the disease.
NTDs are a diverse group of 20 conditions that are mainly prevalent in tropical areas, where they affect more than one billion people who live in poor communities. They are caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins. The diseases cause devastating health, social and economic consequences to more than one billion people.
The diseases are “neglected” because they are almost absent from the global health agenda, receive little funding, and are associated with stigma and social exclusion.
He, however, said the government is strategising on how to fight the diseases in states battling insecurity.
