KDSG advocates proper administration of praziquantel drug in bilharzia treatment
KDSG advocates proper administration of praziquantel drug in bilharzia treatment
The Kaduna State Ministry of Health has urged stakeholders involved in the administration of Praziquantel drug, a deworming medicine that treats schistosomiasis to ensure effective use of the drug.
The Logistics Officer, Kaduna State Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD’s) Control and Elimination Programme, Abdulkarim Dauda, made the call during a two-day stakeholders’ planning meeting on schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia.
Dauda said the medicines were donated and would be provided free of charge to communities affected by bilharzia.
“It is therefore important that every stakeholder involved in this process ensures that the medicines are used strictly for the purpose for which they were donated and that they reach the intended beneficiaries” he said.
He explained that the medicines were supplied through the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the prevention, control, and eventual elimination of the disease, particularly among children aged five to fourteen years.
He added that the drugs moved through a distribution chain from the national level to the state, then to local governments, health facilities, and finally to communities.
“We are fully prepared, the medicine is currently available at the Kaduna State Central Medical Store, beginning from next week, the medicines will be distributed to local government stores” he said.
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Dauda further mentioned that after the training of health workers, the medicines would be supplied to health facilities, later on would be issued to Community Drug Distributors (CDDs).
He added that the CDDs would go from house to house to administer treatment to eligible children in the targeted communities, expecting critical participation and ownership to the success of the programme and the elimination of schistosomiasis in communities.
Suleiman Ibrahim, Deputy Director, Community Orientation and Mobilisation, National Orientation Agency (NOA), said the programme was highly important as has addressed health challenges affecting communities located in riverine areas.
He explained that NOA has a critical role to play in supporting the intervention through mobilisation.
Ibrahim added that NOA’s extensive presence across all local government areas in the country had placed it in a strategic position to support awareness creation and community mobilisation.
He said that their responsibility was to educate people about the programme, to explain the importance of taking the medication, and create demand for the intervention.
“When communities are properly informed, they are more likely to participate and take advantage of the medicines provided during the campaign,” he said.
Bossan Bitruce, Health Secretary for Chikun local government, who is part of the planning meeting, explained that the programme was highly important.
He said the local governments have been shown their target population based.
