A leading figure in Nigeria’ s Guinea worm eradication programme, Professor Luke Edungbola, Thursday said if the elimination of the disease had been delayed a little longer, the current activities of insurgents would have made its eradication impossible.
Edungbola, who is a professor in the department of medical microbiology and parasitology of the University of Ilorin, made the disclosure at a public presentation of his book titled “The Eradication of Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease) in Nigeria: An Eye Witness Account,” held at the university.
The world health organisation (WHO) in December 2013 declared Nigeria free of Guinea worm disease after over 35 years of sustained commitment from the Nigeria Guinea worm eradication programme, of which Edungbola is a pioneer figure.
Speaking at the book presentation, Edungbola recalled that WHO had described Nigeria’ s guinea worn situation as getting to endemic proportion with no end in sight.
He said with the current activities of insurgents in the North, the eradication of Guinea worm disease would have been totally impossible, if it had been delayed a little.
“We stunned the world in 2013 in Nigeria, Guinea worm can never come back. Today, what we are celebrating in Unilorin is the celebration of obituary of Guinea worm in Nigeria”, he added.
He said with the eradication of the disease, Nigeria has recorded a feat of eradicating the second tropical disease in the world after chicken pox.
