Abuja, Nigeria, 17 November 2014-The World Health Organization/African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (WHO/APOC) has donated three (3) 4WD vehicles to the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) Abuja on Friday, 14th November, for onward delivery to the benefitting states of Kwara, Taraba and the FMOH Zonal office in Akure, Ondo State.

Handing over the keys of the vehicles to the Honourable Minister of Health, represented by the Permanent Secretary Mr. Linus Awute, the WHO Country Representative (WR) in Nigeria, Dr. Rui Gama Vaz, requested the FMOH to ensure the vehicles are put to proper  use for the purposes they were donated.

Dr. Vaz observed that “although appreciable progress has been made, medicines coverage and microfilaria prevalence surveys in endemic communities indicate that a lot more needs to be quickly done for Nigeria to meet the current global target elimination date of 2020 for these and many other Neglected Tropical Diseases”

He further noted the need to improve on community level capacity for mass drug administration and urged the benefiting states to harness the substantial WHO/APOC support towards ensuring the achievement of the main intervention for onchocerciasis which has been the “distribution of Ivermectin (Mectizan) to every individual that is eligible to take the medicine in all the selected communities which is 80% of the total population in the endemic communities”.

Continuing, the WR asked the befitting states to also keep their focus on the elimination intervention for Lymphatic filariasis through timely distribution of Mectizan and Albendazole to every eligible individual in all the endemic Local Government Areas.

Taking delivery of the vehicles, the Mr. Awute thanked WHO for the confidence reposed in the FMOH to attract the gesture and singled out WHO among other development partners for what he described as the “organization’s deep understanding of the Nigerian health system and the peculiarities of the divergent terrains within which it operates”.

Conversely, he decried situations whereby vehicles meant for projects such as Nigeria’s National Onchocerciasis Control Programme are diverted for moving  other activities and warned the recipients that the “FMOH expects a quantum leap towards  2020”.

Since 1993, WHO/APOC has regularly donated cash, vehicles, office equipment and sundry items to every onchocerciasis endemic state and FMOH.

In 2014 alone, WHO/APOC disbursed N41 million in direct funding to states as well as N69 million for scaling-up mass drug distribution in addition to   laptop computers, bicycles, motorcycles, generators, photocopiers and  printers.

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01 The donated vehicles on display
02 WR, Dr. Rui Vaz handing over keys to Permanent Secretary, Mr. Linus Awute