The Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, has said that the number of Nigerians at risk of developing trachoma has reduced from 22 million to 13 million because of government intervention and collaborations with international health agencies.

 

The minister stated this during the closing ceremony of an event organised by Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust in Abuja, noting that Nigeria’s collaboration with the organisation, which started in March 2014, had birthed surgical interventions and mass administration of medicines in Katsina, Bauchi, Kaduna, Sokoto and Yobe states.

 

He said, “The Trust is a trachoma initiative project poised towards the elimination of trachoma in Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health. This intervention has drastically reduced the number of Nigerians who were at risk of developing trachoma from 22 million to 13 million.

 

“The Federal Government is committed to maintaining the momentum and ensuring that the country does not slip backwards. The government has resolved to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem by providing clean and safe water across the country.”

 

The Chief Executive Officer of Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, Dr Astrid Bonfield, said the organisation was established to create a lasting legacy in honour of Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth.

 

He stressed that the main focus was to channel resources towards supporting Commonwealth governments to eliminate trachoma and avoidable blindness it caused.