150 children undergoing treatment for lead poisoning in Zamfara – NGO
The Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an international non-governmental organization, has disclosed that no fewer than 150 children suffering from lead poisoning in Zamfara state are still undergoing treatment.
Deputy Head of Mission, MSF in Nigeria, Dr. Simba Tirima, disclosed this to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.
In 2010, an unprecedented outbreak of lead poisoning was discovered in Zamfara state, in which no fewer than 400 children died. Eight years since the outbreak of the lead poisoning, MSF said that no fewer than 150 children are still receiving treatment.
According to Tirima, the MSF is funding the treatment of the affected children while the federal and state governments are collaborating with his organization to ensure that more children are not exposed to lead poison in the affected villages.
He said that however, insecurity in the state had recently hindered the organization from administering adequate treatment to the affected children, adding that “we have no fewer than 150 children in our treatment programme, but due to insecurity in Zamfara, we have not been able to visit some of the villages where our patients are.”
Tirima said that the MSF had stopped its treatment programme for children affected with lead poison in Niger state in October 2018.
The MSF deputy head of mission said that only 10 children were left on its treatment programme in Niger state and they had been handed over to the state government.
