Nigeria need $19m to ‘effectively’ tackle neglected tropical diseases – FG

Nigeria requires $19 million to effectively tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), according to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The Ministry National Coordinator for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Fatai Oyediran, on Thursday disclosed this during a high-level advocacy meeting with Commissioners for Health from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.

Oyediran said that there are about 21 diseases grouped under NTDs; each of them has its own peculiarities. He noted that adequate funding is essential to effectively implementing all the strategies for controlling NTDs.

“I confirm that Nigeria needs about $19 million to effectively tackle NTDs. We developed our NTDs master plan in 2023 to run through 2027, and that is exactly what we need to effectively combat NTDs,” Oyediran said.

He, however, called on the federal and state governments to allocate sufficient budgets for NTDs, stressing that most states currently lack budgetary provisions for these diseases.
He added: “This is one of the reasons we are engaging here today with health commissioners.

They are expected to communicate with their governors and ministries of budget and planning to establish a dedicated budget line for NTDs.”