Niger NTD Conducts National Evaluation Workshop of the Integrated Mass Treatment Campaign 2008

On the 15th July 2008 the Niger NTD Control Programme held a national evaluation workshop of their 2008 integrated mass treatment campaign.

Opening ceremony of the evaluation workshop; (l-r) the Minister of Health, the WHO representative, and SCI’s Regional Programme Manager for West Africa

On the 15th July 2008 the Niger NTD Control Programme held a national evaluation workshop of their 2008 integrated mass treatment campaign. The evaluation workshop was opened by the Minister of Health, his honourable Issa Lamine, and SCI’s Regional Programme Manager, Elisa Bosqué-Oliva. Participants included: Niger’s WHO Representative, Dr. Khadidiatou Mbaye; representatives from international NGOs such as The Carter Center, Handicap International, and International Trachoma Initiative; Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education officials from the national, regional and district levels, and national vertical programme managers.

The evaluation workshop aimed to review the 2008 integrated mass treatment campaign that took place in four priority regions (Dosso, Tahoua, Tillabery and Maradi). Though exact numbers are still being calculated the 2008 campaign aimed to treated approximately 8 million people for lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), schistosomiasis (bilharzia), soil-transmitted helminths (intestinal worms) and trachoma (preventable blindness).

Participants of the 2008 evaluation meeting

Feedback from the districts and regions included increasing the number of supervision days at all levels to ensure community drug distributors are distributing drugs according to WHO regulations, ordering the drugs (ivermectin, albendazole, zithromax, tetracycline and praziquantel) earlier to ensure they arrive in country in time for transport to the regional and district health centres, allocating a specific month, (set by the Ministry of Health), for national integrated mass treatment of NTDs. All of the suggestions made by the regional and district officials will be reviewed by the NTD Control Programme and Ministry of Health to ensure the integrated mass treatment campaign in 2009 improves and coverage rates increase.

The Niger NTD Control Programme is currently developing their 2009 plan. With the support of the Ministry of Health and partners, the NTD Control Programme hopes to expand to the national level in 2009. Efforts to coordinate and collaborate with all the NTD partners (the Ministries of Health and Education, WHO, UNICEF, SCI, RISEAL, ITI, CERMES, and all the local and international NGOs) are ongoing, and efforts to establish an NTD Task Force in Niger are under discussion.