The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health, Sam Ojwang, recently hosted a team of public health officers spearheading a campaign aimed at combating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Trans Nzoia County. The team, comprising officers from the Ministry of Health and the county’s public health officials, provided Mr. Ojwang with a briefing on the current status of NTDs in the region, including their prevalence and the measures being taken to mitigate them.

During the briefing, Mr. Ojwang highlighted the ongoing challenge posed by neglected diseases, particularly in impoverished households where families are more vulnerable to factors that contribute to the spread of these diseases. 

“It is paramount that we address this situation with both an eradication strategy and efforts to tackle the root cause, which is poverty, since these diseases should be a thing of the past,” Mr. Ojwang stated.

The CECM emphasized the importance of involving religious leaders as change agents in the fight against NTDs, in addition to community health promoters. He underscored the need for robust sensitization campaigns to educate residents on how these diseases are spread and how they can be prevented.

“I will also liaise with the county commissioner to include this mission of eradicating Neglected Tropical Diseases in the gender-based technical working group that was formed to tackle the issue,” he added.

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of communicable diseases that are prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. These diseases, which are recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), include Leishmaniasis, Human African Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia), Lymphatic Filariasis (elephantiasis), Onchocerciasis (river blindness), Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease), Ectoparasites (including jiggers), and Trachoma, among others.

The campaign led by Mr. Ojwang and the public health team aims to reduce the burden of these diseases by addressing both the direct causes and the underlying social determinants, such as poverty. By empowering communities with knowledge and involving local leaders, the county aims to make significant strides in the fight against NTDs.