By Ruona Agbroko
July 15, 2009 01:00PMT
It took five weeks, four news stories, two visits and a plethora of phone calls from NEXT to irritated government officials and aggrieved residents. But finally, on Wednesday, July 08, one of the resident of Ijoun, a community in Yelwa North local council of Ogun State, Hans Oshinowo confirmed to NEXT that “they (government) have brought the Praziquantel drugs for the children [pictured],” as elated indigenes of Ijoun screamed in the background, making the conversation almost impossible to continue.
Speaking via telephone, Mr. Oshinowo said: “People from the Primary Health Care Co-ordinator came on Monday (July 06) evening, while on Tuesday someone, I think from the Ministry of Health, came. They distributed drugs, did tests and even took about 10 of the children to the Primary Health care centre for attention. It all happened so fast. We were surprised. We are grateful to your NEXT newspaper.”
Schistosomiasis is also known as bilharzia. The disease causes anaemia, bladder dysfunction, kidney and liver disease, and impaired learning in children. NEXT reports on the impact of the disease on children in Ijoun began on June 06 with a 1000-word article featuring pictures and detailed accounts from the community’s chief, an ailing child’s guardian, residents and health care officials.
Two weeks later, NEXT was one of only two newspaper houses notified of an emergency meeting with newly-appointed schistosomiasis coordinators from all 20 local government areas of Ogun State.
At the meeting, which was organised by the state Ministry of Health and Abiodun Oduwole, its health commissioner, an intervention plan was rolled out with promises to get drugs to schistosomiasis-endemic areas, including Ijoun. Treatment of water sources in the rural areas was also on the cards, according to Mrs. Oduwole. The emergency meeting held on June 16.
However, when NEXT visited Ijoun again on Saturday July 04, it was to hear Samuel Abiodun, the community’s chief, say with overwhelming sadness in Yoruba; “we have not used our eyes to see any drugs, neither has our water been treated.”
It was back to working the phones for NEXT.
On the morning of July 06, Oyin Sodipe, the director of Public Health care and Disease Control with the state government, could not be reached for her comments on the situation. Kafil Emiola, the State Schistosomiasis Coordinator, answered NEXT’s telephone calls but immediately switched off her phone when asked about the non-availability of the drug (Praziquantel) to residents, weeks after the government said it had purchased the drug.
On his part, Mr. Ogunjimi, the assistant Schistosomiasis coordinator, Yewa-North Local Government Area, simply told NEXT: “Sorry for the delay. They will get the drugs,” when asked to state categorically if the drugs would ever get to the affected patients in Ijoun.
Speaking via telephone, Mr. Oshinowo said: “People from the Primary Health Care Co-ordinator came on Monday (July 06) evening, while on Tuesday someone, I think from the Ministry of Health, came. They distributed drugs, did tests and even took about 10 of the children to the Primary Health care centre for attention. It all happened so fast. We were surprised. We are grateful to your NEXT newspaper.”
Schistosomiasis is also known as bilharzia. The disease causes anaemia, bladder dysfunction, kidney and liver disease, and impaired learning in children. NEXT reports on the impact of the disease on children in Ijoun began on June 06 with a 1000-word article featuring pictures and detailed accounts from the community’s chief, an ailing child’s guardian, residents and health care officials.
Two weeks later, NEXT was one of only two newspaper houses notified of an emergency meeting with newly-appointed schistosomiasis coordinators from all 20 local government areas of Ogun State.
At the meeting, which was organised by the state Ministry of Health and Abiodun Oduwole, its health commissioner, an intervention plan was rolled out with promises to get drugs to schistosomiasis-endemic areas, including Ijoun. Treatment of water sources in the rural areas was also on the cards, according to Mrs. Oduwole. The emergency meeting held on June 16.
However, when NEXT visited Ijoun again on Saturday July 04, it was to hear Samuel Abiodun, the community’s chief, say with overwhelming sadness in Yoruba; “we have not used our eyes to see any drugs, neither has our water been treated.”
It was back to working the phones for NEXT.
On the morning of July 06, Oyin Sodipe, the director of Public Health care and Disease Control with the state government, could not be reached for her comments on the situation. Kafil Emiola, the State Schistosomiasis Coordinator, answered NEXT’s telephone calls but immediately switched off her phone when asked about the non-availability of the drug (Praziquantel) to residents, weeks after the government said it had purchased the drug.
On his part, Mr. Ogunjimi, the assistant Schistosomiasis coordinator, Yewa-North Local Government Area, simply told NEXT: “Sorry for the delay. They will get the drugs,” when asked to state categorically if the drugs would ever get to the affected patients in Ijoun.
Now about the water
Regardless of whether it was for reasons of self-preservation, or a result of plain heckling, NEXT is pleased to see that eventually the children parents and people of Ijoun have the ears of their government.
However, more important at this stage is the implication of Oshinowo’s remark that “they are yet to come and treat the water. They promised to do so soon.”
It is obvious that if the people in Ijoun keep drinking from, bathing and washing their clothes in just one small stream, no amount of drugs will stem the scourge of this water-borne disease.
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