FCTA rallies stakeholders for schistosomiasis treatment campaign

By Victor Okoye

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the 2026 Schistosomiasis Mass Administration of Medicines (MAM) campaign across the territory.

The Director of Public Health, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Teresa Nwachukwu, made the call at a stakeholders’ engagement meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.

Represented by the Head of the Disease Control Division, Dr Ngozi Ebisike, Nwachukwu said schistosomiasis remained a major public health challenge, especially among school-aged children and other vulnerable groups.

She said the disease continued to affect the health, education, and productivity of affected communities, making sustained intervention imperative.

“The forthcoming MAM campaign is a critical intervention aimed at reducing the burden of schistosomiasis and protecting the health of our children and communities,” she said.

According to her, the meeting was convened to strengthen partnerships, share information, and mobilise support for the campaign, which will be implemented across the six Area Councils of the FCT.

She commended representatives of the Area Councils, traditional and religious leaders, development partners, education stakeholders, and the media for their commitment to public health programmes.

“Your presence here reflects a shared commitment to improving the health and well-being of residents of the FCT.

“As key stakeholders, your role in community mobilisation, advocacy and dissemination of accurate information is vital to achieving high treatment coverage,” she said.

Ebisike stressed the need to ensure that every eligible child benefits from the intervention, noting that collective action remained essential to eliminating schistosomiasis as a public health problem in the FCT.

She urged participants to contribute actively to discussions and share ideas that would enhance the success of the campaign.

Also speaking, Mr Achai Ijah, Programme Officer and FCT State Lead of the Health and Development Support Programme (HANDS), said the organisation was supporting the implementation of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) interventions in the territory.

Ijah said the 2026 Schistosomiasis MAM campaign would target children aged five to 14 years in schools and communities across the FCT.

According to him, the deworming exercise is aimed at reducing the burden of schistosomiasis among school-aged children and improving their health outcomes.

He said the engagement was designed to secure the support and cooperation of critical stakeholders for the successful implementation of the programme.

“We are engaging community leaders, religious leaders, ward development committee chairmen, persons with disabilities, education stakeholders and NTD coordinators from the six Area Councils to ensure inclusive participation in the campaign,” he said.

Ijah noted that stakeholders played a crucial role in creating awareness and encouraging acceptance of the intervention at the community level.

“A week ago, we held a planning meeting to develop strategies for effective implementation of the programme.

“This engagement is intended to intimate stakeholders with our plans and secure their buy-in because the success of the intervention depends largely on their support,” he said.

He added that residents were more likely to embrace health interventions when messages were delivered through trusted community, religious and political leaders.

“There is a need for strong collaboration with these stakeholders because their endorsement will encourage greater participation and help us achieve the desired coverage,” he said.

The meeting brought together officials of RUWASSA, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), the Primary Health Care Board (PHCB), education authorities and community leaders. (NAN)

Edited by Tosin Kolade