By Pius Awunah
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has partnered with Christoffel-Blinden Mission (CBM) and Health and Development Support Programme (HANDs) to provide 50 free hydrocele surgeries for residents.
The programme was flagged off on Friday, August 22, 2025, at the Kubwa General Hospital, targeting men suffering from hydrocele, a painful complication of lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) that causes swelling in the scrotum, often leading to stigma, loss of livelihood, and emotional distress.
Speaking at the event, the Director of Public Health Department (PHD), Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr. Dan Gadzama, described the intervention as “a life-changing opportunity for affected men to regain their health, dignity, and productivity.”
Then director who was represented by the Head of Disease Control Division, Dr. Ngozi Ebisike, noted that the initiative reflects the FCTA’s commitment to increasing awareness about NTDs and improving the health of FCT residents.
He commended the long-standing support of CBM, which has partnered with the FCTA since 1995 on NTD control, including supporting onchocerciasis treatment with ivermectin since 2010.
The director acknowledged IHS Towers, a telecommunications company that began supporting the FCTA in 2024 by funding mass drug administration for onchocerciasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, as well as training 600 case finders in Abaji and Kwali.
The director explained that the community efforts led to the identification of 65 hydrocele cases, with IHS Towers sponsoring 50 surgeries in the first phase.
He described the collaboration as highly impactful in reducing the burden of NTDs in the FCT.
The Team Lead of the NTDs Unit in the Public Health Department, Lami Ndayako, in her goodwill message, appreciated CBM and HANDs for their consistent partnership in fighting NTDs in the FCT over the past three decades.
The Programme Manager for CBM’s Neglected Tropical Disease Programme, Mary Anne Manok, who represented the Country Director, explained that CBM’s focus is on mobility and disability prevention for people living with NTDs such as lymphatic filariasis, particularly hydrocele and lymphedema management.
She noted that hydrocele, a mosquito-borne condition that affects the lymph nodes and manifests as scrotal swelling, can only be corrected through surgery.
However, she added that stigma and lack of awareness often force patients into hiding,thus denying themselves from accessing care.
The Programme Director of HANDs, Dr. Innocent Emerua, represented by the FCT Team Lead, Achai Ijah, expressed gratitude to CBM for its consistent support in eliminating NTDs in the FCT and to IHS for sponsoring the first batch of hydrocele surgeries.
He said that while the first phase covers 50 beneficiaries, the next round is expected to provide for 80 patients.
