…As Hon. Ugbor calls for urgent FG, NCDC intervention
Former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Botwev Orhii, has raised the alarm over the rapid spread of a deadly skin disease known as Buruli ulcer, locally called Ambi and called for urgent medical intervention to tackle it.
According to the former NAFDAC boss, the disease has continued to ravage several communities in Benue State for over a decade.
Orhii, who first identified the disease during his tenure as NAFDAC director general, said Ambi had long been misunderstood and attributed to witchcraft until scientific investigation confirmed it as Buruli ulcer.
He said the deadly disease is a bacterial infection that requires medical intervention rather than traditional or spiritual remedies.
Orhii warned that the disease, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is spreading silently across rural communities in Ushongo Local Government and other parts of Benue, leaving many victims with severe wounds, disfigurement, and disabilities.
Expressing deep concern over the worsening situation, the former NAFDAC chief urged the Federal Government to treat the outbreak as a public health emergency and deploy immediate intervention through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Joining forces with Orhii, a member representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Terseer Ugbor, has sponsored a motion on the “Need to Address the Spread of Buruli Ulcer Disease in Benue State,” calling for urgent government action to contain the disease.
In the motion, Ugbor described Buruli ulcer as a neglected tropical disease that has inflicted years of pain and economic hardship on rural dwellers. He said the disease continues to spread at an alarming rate despite the existence of effective treatment methods.
“Many victims in Benue are suffering avoidable disabilities and social stigma simply because there are no diagnostic or treatment centres nearby.
“Samples are often sent to Lagos for testing, and sometimes they return with false results,” Ugbor lamented.
He urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOH&SW) and the NCDC to establish a well-equipped laboratory and research centre at the NKST Aku Comprehensive Health Centre and the Cottage Hospital in Ikyobo, Ushongo LGA, to serve as specialised centres for the diagnosis and treatment of Buruli ulcer and other communicable diseases in the region.
According to him, early diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment can cure the infection and prevent complications, including amputation and permanent disfigurement.
He appealed to members of the House of Representative to urge the FMOH&SW
and the NCDC to open a dedicated research programme into Buruli ulcer and expedite the establishment of the proposed laboratory in Ushongo.
He stressed the need to also mandate the Committee on Healthcare Services to ensure compliance with the resolution.
Health experts said Buruli ulcer, though rare, is one of the most neglected tropical diseases in Nigeria.
It affects the skin and soft tissues, often starting as painless nodules that later progress into deep ulcers if untreated.
The disease thrives in swampy and rural environments and predominantly affects impoverished communities with limited access to healthcare.
Orhii and Hon. Ugbor both expressed hope that with coordinated intervention, better awareness, and improved diagnostic capacity, the tide of the disease could finally be turned, saving hundreds of lives and preventing needless suffering in Benue State and beyond.
