By Peter.
At a high-impact Media Dialogue on NTD Elimination in Bauchi on Thursday, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, issued a powerful charge:
“Media are the eyes, ears, and voice of society — you can create awareness, influence behaviour, and change lives.”
She urged journalists to spearhead behavioural change to break the vicious cycle of poverty, poor sanitation, and disease that fuels NTDs across Nigeria — especially in rural communities.
The Poverty–Disease Trap
“When people are poor and live in unclean environments, they get sick. When they fall ill, they can’t work — and poverty deepens.” — Dr Nuzhat Rafique
NTDs — including River Blindness, Lymphatic Filariasis, Schistosomiasis, and Soil-Transmitted Helminths — affect over 120 million Nigerians, mostly in rural areas. They cause blindness, disability, deformity, and even death if untreated, trapping children in cycles of ill health and lost education.
Key Drivers of NTDs
- 🚰 Lack of clean water
- 🚽 Open defecation
- 🗑️ Poor waste management
- 🦟 Contaminated rivers breeding flies & mosquitoes
“When we prevent flies and mosquitoes, we prevent malaria, dengue, and NTDs,” Rafique warned.
Call to Action: Media as Change Agents
North-East Zonal Coordinator, Hauwa Abubakar (Federal Ministry of Health):
“NTDs are preventable and curable — but only if we amplify accurate information. Media must lead awareness, prevention, and control campaigns.”
UNICEF is pushing for: ✅ Strengthened WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) interventions ✅ Investment in safe water, toilets, and waste systems ✅ Community-level hygiene education
Recent Momentum
- Nov 2025 (Gombe): UNICEF consultant Dr Hilary Adie blamed poverty, weak WASH, and poor social behaviour change for stalled NTD elimination.
- Oct 2025: FG & UNICEF urged media to protect child rights through informed reporting — a model now expanding to NTDs.
The Media’s Role
| Action | Impact |
|---|---|
| Report NTD hotspots | Expose neglected communities |
| Promote hygiene campaigns | Drive behaviour change |
| Hold govt accountable | Ensure WASH funding |
| Amplify success stories | Inspire action |
“Behavioural change is hard — but media makes it possible.” — Dr Rafique
The Bauchi dialogue united journalists, health experts, and policymakers to forge a media-led NTD elimination strategy — with plans to scale nationwide.
Nigeria can end NTDs by 2030 — but only if media leads the charge.
#EndNTDsNG #MediaForHealth #WASHRevolution #UNICEFNG #NTDElimination #BauchiDialogue #HealthJournalism #BreakTheCycle
