Sleeping sickness and food security

By Ezeala Blessing

SIR: About 19.5 million cattle, 22 million sheep and 34 million goats in Nigeria are said to be at risk of sleeping sickness (Trypanosomiasis) infection. It is a disease of livestock that directly hinders livestock production, reduces milk and meat protein and therefore impedes socio-economic development.

Food security is one of the soft powers of any country. Ensuring that people have access to food is an indicator of progress in the society. A country that cannot feed its citizens is a vulnerable one, susceptible to the vagaries of other nations.

Sleeping disease is a veritable threat to food security in Nigeria such that when cattle and livestock are being plagued with the disease, the livelihood of people depending on them is threatened.

From pre-historic times to date, West Africa has been plagued by this menace. This has led to governments creating policies and intervention programmes to nip in the bud the challenge of this recurring menace to society.

For instance, since colonial era, governments have initiated different policies, campaigns and strategies to confront the disease.

In the 1940’s, The West African Institute of Trypanosomiasis Research (WAITR) was established due to the negative impact of the disease on the people resident in the river basin areas.

By the 1960’s The West African Institute of Trypanosomiasis Research (WAITR) became Nigeria Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research. By 1988 active surveys on disease – prone areas stopped because of reduced funding.

Today, there seems to be progress in the eradication of the disease as trypanosomiasis is no longer a major public health problem in Nigeria due to surveillance activities and advanced technology known as sterile insect technique being spearheaded by Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research (NITR), Kaduna.

Indeed, various strategic actions have been earmarked in fighting the scourge of sleeping sickness in Nigeria.

Recently the 35th International Scientific Council for Trypanosomiasis Research and Control (ISTRC) was held in Abuja. At this meeting, a number of resolutions were reached on the handling of the disease.

Of course, Nigeria being the host country had a lot of laudable innovations to contribute to this effect. The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu said his ministry is set to construct a facility to produce sterile male Tsetse flies aimed at eventually eradicating their population.

The construction of such facility is a new innovation that will naturally fight the host vector of the disease, i.e. tsetse fly without having to resort to the use of insecticides and other toxic chemicals.

Africa is made up of young people with an increasing population, whose future needs to be protected in order to achieve any meaningful socio-economic progress. Therefore achieving an end to sleeping sickness will help feed ourselves, make us remain healthy, grow our economy and create jobs for our people.

• Ezeala Blessing, Abuja.