A leading figure in Nigeria’s guinea worm eradication programme, Professor Luke Edungbola, has said if the elimination of the disease had been delayed a little longer, prevailing insurgency in the country would have made its eradication impossible.
Speaking at a public presentation of his book, titled, “The Eradication of Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease) in Nigeria: An Eye-Witness Account”, at the University of Ilorin on Thursday, Edungbola, a professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology of the university said that Nigeria stunned the world in 2013 with elimination of the disease.
The world health organisation (WHO) in December 2013 declared Nigeria free of Guinea worm disease after over 35 years of sustained commitment from Nigeria Guinea Worm Eradication Programme of which Edungbola is a pioneer figure.
Edungbola recalled that the world health organisation had hitherto said Nigeria’s guinea worn situation was at endemic proportion with no end insight to its eradication.
He said the current activities of insurgents in the north, the eradication of guinea worm disease would have been totally impossible “If the elimination of Guinea worm in Nigeria had been delayed just a little longer”.
“But we stunned the world in 2013 in Nigeria” adding that Guinea worm can never come back”.
“Today what we are celebrating in Unilorin is the celebration of the obituary of Guinea Worm in Nigeria”, he added.
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He said with the eradication of the disease, Nigeria has recorded a feat of eradicating the second tropical disease in the world after chickenpox.
While revealing his personal experiences as contained in the book, the university teacher recalled that 7,000 cases of Guinea worm were established in 6,000 communities.
He said the elimination of the disease was done without applying a single drug but by providing safe water, health education, among others
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