Hawa Abubakar, North-East Regional Coordinator for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has warned that NTDs significantly impair children's learning ability and overall school performance.
Speaking during a media dialogue on NTDs in Bauchi, Abubakar said the diseases not only affect children's growth and ability to learn, but also reduce the economic productivity of adults and their ability to provide for their families.
Without sustained control efforts, he said, many communities risk remaining trapped in a cycle of disease and poverty. According to him, NTDs lead to reduced household income, poor educational outcomes, malnutrition, weakened immunity and increased susceptibility to other infections.
“NTDs contribute to stunting, low birth weight, poor food security and stigma,” she said, adding that infected mothers often struggle to breastfeed adequately while children are sometimes forced to act as guides for visually impaired relatives.
Abubakar explained that diseases are spread through several means, including mosquitoes, flies, other insects and contact with contaminated soil or water.
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In his remarks, the Head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office, Rafiq Nuzhat, commended the facilitators and participants for their involvement in the fight against NTDs.
He emphasized the important role of media in bringing about social change and said that “Media are the backbone of every society – they can either make or break change.”
Nuzhat urged government officials to strengthen access to clean water and sanitation facilities, end open defecation, and promote hygienic practices at both household and community levels.
He called for increased government investment in clean water supply to help curb the spread of NTDs in Bauchi State and across Nigeria.
