The Ministry of Health and Child Care in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education embarked on a Mass Drug Campaign against Neglected tropical diseases at Nyamandlovu in Bulawayo. The Mass Drug Administration is targeting four preventive chemotherapy neglected Tropical Diseases prevalent in Zimbabwe namely Schistosomiasis or Bilhazia, Soil Transmitted Helminthes or intestinal worm diseases, Lymphatic Filariasis also known as Elephantiasis or Hydrocele and Blinding Trachoma.
Addressing delegates the minister of Health and Child Care Dr David Parirenyatwa represented by Dr Gibson Mlanga said
‘The medicines being used are Albendazole, Diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) and Praziquantel.These medicines are in the country for use in this 2017 MDA. This campaign is free of charge. Receive these free treatments.
In an interview on the sidelines of the event launch, Epidemiology and Disaster Control Director in the Health Ministry Dr Portia Manangazira said time has come for the Ministry to review progress in fighting the diseases.
‘We are planning to have another survey next year, resources permitting. We did a prevalence survey in 2010 and we were focusing on all the 63 districts in Zimbabwe in terms of Bilhazia and intestinal worms. So now that we have done six consecutive Mass Drug Administrations in the country, we are wondering if they had any impact, said Dr Manangazira.’
The Minister of Health and Child Care Honorable Dr David Parirenyatwa represented by Dr Gibson Mlanga thanked the partners END FUND,WHO,ITI,WVI for the much needed support and encouraged people to take advantage of this initiative by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
