Lagos commences mass administration against schistosomiasis
Lagos State Government has commenced mass administration of medicines (MAM) for school-aged children against schistosomiasis; an acute and chronic neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by parasitic worms, in nine local government areas of the state where the disease is endemic.
The permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, who spoke on the MAM micro-planning meeting with implementing stakeholders and partners held at the Ostra Hall in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, noted that the mass administration of medicines would be implemented in nine schistosomiasis-endemic LGAs: Kosofe, Eti-Osa, Oshodi-Isolo, Ikorodu, Alimosho, Ikeja, Agege, Ifako-Ijaiye and Surulere.
In his words: “The Lagos State Government is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health and a non-governmental organization; Mission to Save The Helpless (MITOSATH) to implement the administration of medicines for school aged children.
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“In 2019, the State Government in collaboration with MITOSATH and World Health Organisation (WHO) carried out a successful mass administration of medicines for school aged children in seven endemic LGAs. The successful intervention later serves as template for other states to follow.”
While restating the commitment of the state government to the elimination of the NTDs, the permanent secretary stated that over 300,000 school-aged children are the target population for the mass administration of medicine for the control and elimination of schistosomiasis.
Executive director, MITOSATH, Dr. Fransisca Olamiju, stated that the collaboration of MITOSATH, Federal Ministry of Health and the Lagos State Ministry of Health was in line with the objective of controlling and eliminating the NTD in Lagos, adding that the intervention would take off with immediate effect.
She explained further that the mass administration of medicine is for children between ages of five and 14 years adding that praziquantel tablets would be administered to the school-aged children for the prevention and control of the disease.
