Medical Association Decries Prevalence Of Bilharzia Disease Among “Almajiris”

The Islamic Medical Association of Ahmadu Bello University and Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, have decried what they term “high prevalence of schistosomiasis (bilharzia) among Almajiris.”

The Secretary-General of the association, Dr Muhammad-Mustapha Yakubu, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Emir of Zazzau, Malam Ahmad Bamalli in Zaria on Tuesday.

According to him, the disease is prevalent in communities around Giwa and Zaria local government areas of Kaduna State.

Bilharzia, also known as schistosomiasis, snail fever or Katayama fever, is a disease caused by infection with freshwater parasitic worms in certain tropical and subtropical countries.

Yakubu said that the association embarked on regular treatment and large scale de-worming of the almajiri boys following a prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis among them.

He added that the group had established Almajiri Rehabilitation and Enlightenment Project (AMREP) to tame the challenge, noting that the project also engaged almajiri schools in the areas of hygiene talks, among others.

The Secretary-General said that the association provided free medical consultations, drugs and surgeries to over 6,000 members of different communities around Zaria this year.

He added that of the 6,000 beneficiaries, 500 benefited from the free surgical intervention programme.

Yakubu said that the association, in collaboration with the Muslim Forum of ABU, held a series of health awareness campaigns within the emirate, stressing that it also collaborated with experts from the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the university to render free veterinary services.

He urged well-meaning Nigerians to help the association by sponsoring some of the health programmes and projects and appealed to the emir for support to solve some of the challenges, which include ambulances and low external funding.

In his remarks, the Emir of Zazzau assured the association of his support and commended it for the health interventions in the emirate.