South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The undersecretary of the national Ministry of Health, Anin Ngot Ngot, has visited Malakal town to strengthen the fight against four neglected tropical diseases affecting communities in Upper Nile State.
“Our presence here in Malakal demonstrates the Ministry of Health’s commitment to working with the state government, local authorities, and communities in the fight against neglected tropical diseases, and particularly our collective determination to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem,” said Ngot during a celebration marking the significant achievements reached in Renk County.
Ngot noted that Renk County has registered remarkable progress, as shown in the recently conducted trachoma impact survey, which revealed that the county has reached the WHO threshold for the elimination of trachoma.
He also mentioned that Eastern Upper Nile and Western Upper Nile are affected by neglected tropical diseases, emphasising that health workers need to maintain commitment, discipline, and professionalism to eliminate these diseases.
“At the national level, the Ministry of Health has developed an NTD master plan for 2023 to 2027. This plan provides a clear strategic framework for accelerating the elimination and control of all neglected tropical diseases,” he stated.
Yak Yak Bol, the Director of Neglected Tropical Diseases at the national Ministry of Health, urged the county health department to initiate mass drug administration to eliminate neglected tropical diseases.
“We need to conduct mass drug administration, followed by performance impact surveys. Other areas may require three rounds, indicating that we still have a long way to go; we want to ensure the elimination of trachoma in Upper Nile State,” said Bol.
He added, “We face challenges; our interventions are affected by insecurity. We continue to adjust our approaches, operating in counties that are safe. Unfortunately, there are some counties we cannot reach due to insecurity.”
Isaac Wango, the Director General at the State Ministry of Health in Upper Nile State, stated that the region is affected by four neglected tropical diseases: trachoma, elephantiasis, river blindness, and bilharzia.
“The state has been devastated by these four neglected tropical diseases, including lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, and schistosomiasis. The NTD programme is crucial for this state. If water is available, we can eradicate all these diseases, and we need to pay attention to neglected tropical diseases,” he said.
The fight against tropical diseases, including the provision of drugs and preventive measures for diseases such as river blindness, trachoma, and bilharzia, is supported by UN agencies, including UNICEF, WHO, and Amref Health Africa, a leading African-based organisation focused on improving sustainable health.
