Deputy health minister Iziaq Salako has urged states to mobilise domestic funding to control and eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases in Nigeria.

Mr Salako made the call at a media conference ahead of the 2026 NTDs Day celebration on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Salako said that the control and elimination of NTDs remained an important element in Nigeria’s drive to attain UHC by 2030, achieve a disease-free SDG, and eradicate poverty.

He therefore urged states to create budget lines to mobilise the necessary domestic funding. He cautioned against allowing NTDs to translate into neglected people, emphasising the need for inclusion in efforts to address the burden of NTDs.

The minister noted that NTDs thrive in silence and neglect, calling for a collective voice, action, and determination to confront the challenge.

The minister noted that although Nigeria accounts for 25 per cent of the NTDs burden across Africa, sustained commitment from stakeholders would lead to remarkable progress and total elimination by 2030.

Fatai Oyediran, the director and national coordinator of the NTDs Unit, Department of Public Health, said NTDs affect mostly the rural poor and a few urban centres, caused by poor hygiene, ventilation, water sources, and a lack of access to health facility care.

Mr Oyediran explained that the federal government has implemented strategies that have enabled the country to record progress in eliminating NTDs.

“We have been able to remove about 59 million people from the onchocerciasis (river blindness) treatment in Nigeria, which has never been recorded in any country. We also removed 119.9 million Nigerians from the treatment of lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis).

“We have also removed about 36 million people from trachoma treatment. We are only left with about four million people to battle with in terms of trachoma. So if you look at all these indices and figures, you will agree that Nigeria is on the right track to meet the 2030 NTDs elimination,” he said.

He, however, called for more support towards the elimination of Schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and other case management NTDs, such as snake bites, rabies, and guinea worm. He also encouraged citizens to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene practices and to increase sensitisation to reduce the menace of NTDs.

(NAN)