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More than 1 million treated with Pfizer-donated Zithromax® in Nigeria
Nigeria Distributes Zithromax® to more than 1 million
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, has an estimated 53 million people living in trachoma-endemic areas and more than 600,000 affected by the blinding stage of the disease. After receiving its first donation of Zithromax® for trachoma control, Nigeriadistributed 1,100,197 doses through mass drug administration (MDA) in ten districts in five states.
Nigeria accepted the medicine on October 14, 2010 at a ceremony at the Federal Ministry of Health on the occasion of World Sight Day. The Nigeria Program for the Prevention of Blindness is working in partnership with the International Trachoma Initiative to receive the donation of Zithromax®.
Mr. Linus Awute, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria receives the donation of Zithromax®on behalf of the government of Nigeria to mark World Sight Day 2010. At his left is Dr. Mike Anibueze, Director of the Department of Public Health and Dr. Iheme Onwusoro who watch as Mr. Eyeororo Ololobou, Oncology Liaison Officer of Pfizer Nigeria, hands over the first box of donated Zithromax®. Behind him is Mr. Y. Wambai, Director of Procurement in the Federal Ministry of Health.
The Honorable Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Linus Awute, presented information on trachoma in Nigeria. The first dose of Zithromax® was handed over by a Pfizer Nigeria representative, Eyororo Prince Ololobou. The launch celebrated the beginning of ITI’s relationship with the government of Nigeria to donate Pfizer’s Zithromax® for the elimination of blinding trachoma. Mass distribution of Zithromax® reached selected districts in five trachoma-endemic states in 2010: Nassarawa and Plateau in the central region, and Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara in northern Nigeria.
The Federal Ministry of Health plans to expand distribution to 22 districts in seven states in 2011 in collaboration with its in-country partners CBM (formerly Christoffel Blindenmission), The Carter Center, and Sightsavers. Under the leadership of the National Program, ITI hopes to gradually help scale-up the Zithromax® donation to all trachoma-endemic states of Nigeria that are prepared to implement the full SAFE strategy.
Mr. Benjamin Nwobi, the National Coordinator, National Programme for the Prevention of Blindness of the Federal Ministry of Health said: “In Nigeria, 84% of all causes of blindness are preventable or treatable. The Northern geo-political zones of Nigeria fall within the WHO-classified ‘Trachoma Belt’ where trachoma contributes significantly to this avoidable blindness. Our Vision 2020 Plan will continue the scale-up of trachoma control activities and full access to free Zithromax® to districts in all endemic states using the SAFE strategy and driving an accelerated implementation of the State Eye Care Plans toward trachoma elimination by 2020, working in collaboration with our partners and stakeholders including the private sector.”
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health, with support from its partners, aims to eliminate blinding trachoma by 2020. ITI is pleased to start this new partnership and join them in their efforts.
The gray areas on the map show the districts within five trachoma-endemic Nigerian states where residents received Zithromax® to treat and prevent blinding trachoma.