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By Doris Obinna
Former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Botwev Orhii, has raised alarm over the growing spread of a deadly skin disease known as Buruli ulcer locally called Ambi, which has continued to ravage several communities in Benue State for over a decade.
Dr. Orhii, who first identified the disease during his tenure as NAFDAC boss, disclosed that Ambi was long misunderstood and attributed to witchcraft until scientific investigations confirmed it as Buruli ulcer. He explained that the disease, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is a bacterial infection that requires urgent medical attention rather than traditional or spiritual remedies.
According to him, the disease is spreading silently across rural communities in Ushongo Local Government Area and other parts of Benue, leaving many victims with severe wounds, disfigurement, and disabilities. He expressed deep concern over the worsening situation and urged the Federal Government to treat the outbreak as a public health emergency, calling on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to deploy immediate intervention.
Supporting Dr. Orhii’s call, the member representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Terseer Ugbor, has sponsored a motion on the “Need to Address the Spread of Buruli Ulcer Disease in Benue State.”
The lawmaker warned that the infection, a neglected tropical disease, has caused years of pain and economic hardship for rural dwellers and continues to spread rapidly despite the availability of effective treatment.
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“Many victims in Benue are suffering avoidable disabilities and social stigma simply because there are no diagnostic or treatment centres nearby. Samples are often sent to Lagos for testing, and sometimes they return with false results,” Ugbor lamented.
He urged the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC to establish a well-equipped laboratory and research centre at the NKST Aku Comprehensive Health Centre and the Cottage Hospital in Ikyobo, Ushongo LGA, to serve as specialised centres for diagnosis and treatment of Buruli ulcer and other communicable diseases in the region.
Ugbor emphasised that early diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment can cure the infection and prevent complications such as amputation and permanent disfigurement. He appealed to his colleagues in the House to urge the Ministry of Health and the NCDC to open a dedicated research programme into Buruli ulcer and expedite the establishment of the proposed laboratory in Ushongo. He also called on the House Committee on Healthcare Services to ensure compliance with the resolution.
Health experts describe Buruli ulcer as one of the most neglected tropical diseases in Nigeria. The infection affects the skin and soft tissues, often beginning as painless nodules that later progress into deep ulcers if untreated. It thrives in swampy and rural environments and primarily affects impoverished communities with limited access to healthcare.
Dr. Orhii and Hon. Ugbor, both expressed optimism that with coordinated intervention, improved awareness, and better diagnostic capacity, the tide of the disease could finally be turned, saving hundreds of lives and preventing needless suffering in Benue and beyond.
