By Khalid Idris Doya
Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria
November 14, 2025(Series News Online)
The Bauchi state government, in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), has intensified efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) across the state. These diseases include schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis (hydrocele/lymphoedema), trachoma, snakebite, noma, leprosy, Buruli ulcer, yaws/leishmaniasis, and rabies.
Speaking at a one-day Media Dialogue on NTD Elimination in Bauchi State held on Thursday, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, described poverty as a vicious cycle that perpetuates ill-health.
"Poverty leads to unclean environments and poor sanitation, which increase susceptibility to diseases. When people fall sick, they cannot work, which further deepens poverty," she said.
Dr. Rafique urged journalists to intensify public education campaigns to promote behavioral change, maintain clean environments, ensure access to safe water, discourage open defecation, and avoid using polluted river water.
She highlighted the progress in Bauchi and Gombe states, noting that with proper WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) interventions, many NTDs can now be prevented without repeated mass drug administration.
"Bauchi's gains must be maintained and strengthened through good sanitation, timely identification of cases, and prompt treatment," Dr. Rafique emphasized.
For his part, Haruna Barau Wakili, the Bauchi State Coordinator of NTDs for the Primary Healthcare Development Agency, said that for years, the NTDs sector in Bauchi had been largely overlooked.
"However, with the sector now included in the 2026 state budget, this is a milestone and we call for measures to ensure sustained funding for elimination efforts," he said, adding that 13 Local Government Areas have been actively distributing drugs annually.
Hauwa Abubakar, North-East Zonal Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, described NTDs as serious but preventable and treatable, emphasizing that they mostly affect rural populations living in poverty.
"NTDs are public health challenges that require focused preventive measures before they become widespread threats. We must intensify awareness campaigns, promote hygiene, and ensure access to clean water to protect our communities," she said.
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Health