ETIM EFFIONG
The Akwa Ibom State Government, on Monday, said it would distribute drugs it received from the Federal Government to Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) patients in the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Augustine Umoh, noted that the government was expecting to take delivery of the drugs meant to assist the state in tackling the diseases from the Federal Ministry of Health.
Umoh explained that the last batch of drugs sent to the state was helpful in treating NTD patients, and minimized the spread of the disease, especially in the riverine areas.
“The first batch of drugs from the federal government to the state helped us in mass administration to patients across the 31 local government areas in the state.
“Public enlightenment given to the disease has made them not to be neglected anymore as government’s attention is directed to them now,” he stated.
The commissioner stated that when the Ministry received the first batch of the drugs earlier in the year, it went around the 31 local government areas in the state for a mass administration of the medicine.
He said the second batch of medicines will help in another round of administration to patients, and urged health personnel to carefully follow the advice of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in ensuring that NTD diseases are prevented in the state.