The Northern Bahr el Ghazal health ministry is targeting about 1.4 million people in an ongoing campaign to prevent River Blindness which was launched on Wednesday and will conclude after twenty days.
Aleu Pioth Akot, the director-general at the state health ministry, said the campaign is meant to protect the people from the disease, saying that every eligible person shall receive tablet-type medicines. Children, pregnant women, and sick people are exempted from taking the medicine.
“The ongoing campaign is meant for protection by distributing the medicines and everybody shall take the medication,” Pioth said. “The teams will move from house to house so that they disburse the items. They were trained to give the drugs according to certain standards.”
He added: “The campaign has started today (Wednesday) because we have realized that there are spreading River Blind cases in different counties where there are small seasonal rivers.”
Aguot, a local who received and took the tablets, said he decided to take the medicine for protection.
“I received the medicines today (Wednesday) from the health ministry through the medical teams and the items I took were tablets which treat blindness,” he said. “Because I had eye problems in the past when I heard that the there is a campaign for the delivery of health services, I decided to take the medicines so that I protect myself from future eye problems.”
Another recipient, Adup Manok, said he took the medication with anticipation of regaining his vision, saying he has been suffering and cannot walk at night due to poor visibility.
“Maybe it will support me because I have sight problems at night time and I hope it will improve my vision,” Manok said. “I urge all the people to take the medicine even though you do not have the diseases.”