C’River to vaccinate 400,000 kids against NTDs

From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar

The Cross River Government has launched a drive to vaccinate 400,000 children between the ages of five and fourteen in its 2026 mass treatment campaign for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

Senior Manager at Evidence Action, Amb. Tochi Ohaji, the implementing partners for the project disclosed this in Calabar. Ohaji said the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s plan to eliminate NTDs by 2030 adding that their intervention focused on treating Soil-Transmitted  Helminthiasis and Schistosomiasis among school-aged children.

He said the project, which has been active in the state in the last seven years, has recorded tremendous successes in the state. According to him, “prevalence of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis dropped by 48.5 per cent, while Schistosomiasis reduced by 76 per cent after over seven years of sustained intervention,” he said.

To ensure the success of this year’s vaccination, Ohaji said health workers have been trained to administer medicines in schools and communities across participating local government areas.

Programme Officer for Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis Elimination, Jacob Solomon in the Federal Ministry of Health, highlighted concerns about declining donor funding.

Solomon said global partners were beginning to experience donor fatigue, making it necessary for governments to increase domestic funding for neglected tropical disease programmes.

He urged state governments to establish dedicated budget lines for disease elimination activities and ensure funds are released when appropriated.

Cross River Coordinator for NTDs, Veronica Mark, said seven local government areas (LGAs) would be benefitting from the initial exercise in 2026 and that the state government has made plans to reach children even in hard-to-reach areas.