NIMR raises concern over risks of neglected tropical diseases in Nigeria

A Professor of Parasitology and immediate past Deputy Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, Olaoluwa Akinwale, has expressed concern over the grave risks posed by Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) to Nigerians, calling on the government and other stakeholders to intervene and address the issue.

Prof Akinwale raised this concern at a recent media dialogue organised by NIMR to share insights into some of the institute’s recent research activities on NTDs.

She stated that there are 21 recognised NTDs globally, each of which has devastating effects on people, particularly the poorest populations and those living in rural and urban slum communities in tropical regions, including Nigeria.

She listed these diseases to include leprosy, river blindness, Buruli ulcer, sleeping sickness, urinary schistosomiasis (commonly referred to as blood in urine), soil-transmitted helminths (intestinal worms), and blinding trachoma, among others.

The researcher, who currently serves as the Director of the Directorate of Neglected Tropical Disease Research at NIMR, explained that if left unaddressed, these diseases will continue to limit educational opportunities and economic productivity for vulnerable groups while inflicting severe long-term health burdens on them and society at large.

She stressed that while these diseases are both preventable and treatable, their high prevalence in Nigeria, particularly in rural and urban slum communities, remains a major public health concern.

She emphasised that drastic and coordinated efforts must be taken to tackle these public health challenges.

According to her, addressing the issue requires increased funding for research, public awareness campaigns on the diseases and their dangers, practising good hygiene, training more researchers, and providing functional healthcare facilities across the country.

Sharing findings from three key research studies conducted by her team, Prof Akinwale highlighted urinary schistosomiasis among girls and women of childbearing age in endemic communities.

She noted that approximately 50 per cent of those screened were infected with the disease, with a majority being young women who had already developed cervical abnormalities.

She explained that the disease reaching this stage is now a serious public health concern, requiring comprehensive screening and prompt medical intervention to prevent it from escalating into more severe reproductive health complications.

In the second study, her team examined the prevalence of Buruli ulcer, a chronic disease affecting the skin, in selected communities in southern Nigeria.

She said that despite overall prevalence rates being low, the research found a disproportionately high infection rate among young people.

She further noted that the disease often begins as a painless nodule, swelling, or plaque on the skin, but if left untreated, it can progress to severe scarring, disfigurement, and permanent disabilities.

The third study focused on soil-transmitted helminthiases, known as parasitic worm infections, which people contract through contaminated soil.

According to her, the most common species of the disease include roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms, which reside in the intestines.

She added that these diseases, which are also endemic in Nigeria, can affect children’s growth and development, cause malnutrition, anaemia, and impair cognitive functions.

Prof Akinwale emphasised the need for greater investment in research activities and indigenous scientific capacity, including training Nigerian researchers in grant writing and the development of locally manufactured diagnostic kits.

She criticised Nigeria’s reliance on expensive imported materials, stating that this approach is unsustainable.

“So, we must work towards producing our own affordable and effective diagnostic tools, among other interventions,” she stressed.

In his contribution, Dr Vincent Pam Gyang, a member of Prof Akinwale’s research team, stressed that NTDs must no longer be neglected, as they are not only health concerns but also development issues.

He acknowledged that the control and eventual elimination of NTDs in Nigeria require a coordinated national strategy involving government agencies, the private sector, donor organisations, and local communities.

The researchers both opined that eliminating these diseases is critical to lifting vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty and improving the overall quality of life in the country.

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