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The event, scheduled for Thursday, October 23, 2025 (Nkwo Market Day) at the Civic Centre, Awba-Ofemili, seeks to raise public awareness about Buruli Ulcer (Elu-Ulee), a neglected tropical disease that affects the skin and soft tissues, while promoting early detection, prevention, and improved hygiene practices within the community.

According to Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, Chairman of the ADU Health Committee, AHC, and Convener of the Awba-Ofemili Health Volunteers Team, AHVT, the campaign marks “a major step in our collective effort to safeguard the health and well-being of our people through knowledge, early detection, and preventive care.”

The programme will feature health sensitization talks by medical experts and Red Cross educators; free blood pressure and sugar level checks for residents; donation of First Aid Boxes to local institutions; and the establishment of Red Cross chapters in schools, including Community Secondary School, Awba-Ofemili, Progressive Primary School Awba-Ofemili and Central Primary School Awba-Ofemili among others.

Ogbuefi Nweke expressed appreciation to the Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Nigerian Red Cross Society, and the Office of the ADU President-General for their partnership and technical support.

He also called on residents, community leaders, and schools to turn out en-masse and benefit from the programme’s free health services.

He emphasized that “with collective awareness and early intervention, Buruli Ulcer can be effectively controlled, saving lives and preventing disabilities among our people.”

Dignitaries expected at the event include officials from the ASPHCDA, representatives of the Anambra State Ministry of Health, traditional and religious leaders, teachers, students, and health professionals.

The Awba-Ofemili Health Committee, AHC, is a community-based initiative under the Awba-Ofemili Development Union, ADU, dedicated to advancing public health awareness, supporting local healthcare facilities, and fostering humanitarian engagement through collaborations such as the Nigerian Red Cross Society.

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Dr. Adesigbin Olufemi, Acting National Coordinator of the National Tuberculosis, Buruli Ulcer and Leprosy Control Programme, confirmed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Thursday in Abuja.

Olufemi said that all 22 specimens sent for laboratory confirmation of Buruli Ulcer tested negative, effectively ruling out the bacterial skin disease as the cause of the outbreak in Malabu.

He said further investigations were ongoing, led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, and the African Field Epidemiology Network, AFENET, to determine the true nature of the illness.

According to him, some of the ulcer cases may be due to chronic trauma, especially as the affected community is largely agrarian and exposed to repeated injuries and infections.

He noted that possible causes could include diabetic ulcers, venous ulcers, trauma-related wounds, or even tumors, highlighting the need for continued diagnostic investigations and surveillance.

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Olufemi confirmed that no new deaths had been reported, but the number of identified cases had increased from 67 to 82 following expanded awareness and active case finding in the community.

The increase, he said, followed intensified community sensitisation efforts, which enabled more people to seek help and report symptoms linked to the strange disease.

In September, the federal government initiated laboratory investigations to determine the cause of the flesh-eating disease that had emerged in Malabu, prompting nationwide concern.

As of September 10, 67 cases had been recorded, with eight patients receiving surgical treatment at the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, MAUTH, in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

According to medical reports, the disease typically begins as a small boil, then bursts open and progressively eats away at surrounding flesh, in severe cases even damaging underlying bones.

Source: NAN

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Dr Adesigbin Olufemi, Acting National Coordinator of the National Tuberculosis, Buruli Ulcer, and Leprosy Control Programme, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Sunday in Abuja.

Olufemi said that as of September 10, there were 67 confirmed cases, with eight patients undergoing surgical treatment at the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, MAUTH, Yola.

“These are undergoing surgical treatment with the support of the government,” he said, emphasising the coordinated efforts to manage the medical emergency in affected communities.

The disease often begins as a boil, later bursts, and then gradually eats away flesh, sometimes damaging the bones in the affected area.

Olufemi stated that although the exact cause remained unknown, Buruli Ulcer was suspected.

“This tropical disease is still under investigation for confirmation.”

He explained that Buruli Ulcer was caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, a bacterium commonly found in swampy environments and around stagnant riverine ecosystems.

“Up till now, nobody is sure exactly how it is transmitted. Some theories suggest insects like water fleas or mosquitoes may inoculate individuals when they bite,” Olufemi added.

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The coordinator hailed the proactive response of the Adamawa State government, alongside support from federal agencies and non-governmental partner REDAID, which arrived on site on September 14.

He said patients with mild symptoms were being treated at local health centres, while severe cases requiring surgery had been referred to specialised hospitals.

Olufemi highlighted that public sensitisation was key, especially as some residents initially blamed the disease on witchcraft, leading to delays in seeking proper treatment.

“One of the things that is very important, and that’s what we are doing, is to continue to create awareness,” he said, urging residents to seek medical care early.

He noted that Malabu was a remote community, located about two hours from Yola, with poor road access, making swift medical response more difficult.

Olufemi stressed that long-term health security required more than medical care, it also included access to clean water and improved sanitation in rural communities.

“People will not need to go to those rivers to fetch water if they have pipe-borne or borehole water around them. That way, they are less exposed,” he explained.

He assured the public that the federal and state governments, supported by health partners, remained committed to treating patients and curbing further transmission.

The World Health Organisation recognises Buruli Ulcer as one of the world’s most neglected tropical diseases, mostly affecting rural, riverine communities with limited access to healthcare.

Source: NAN

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