Infertility: NGO alerts on rising PDI in females

Women Connect Initiative (WCI), an NGO, has alerted Nigerians on the increasing spate of Prolonged Diagnosed Infections (PDI).
Mr Victor Osae, the NGO’s Director of Programmes, said this at the launch of an awareness campaign to reduce its prevalence in rural areas of Kaduna State, yesterday in Zaria.
According to the NGO, if PDI is not addressed, there will be increased cases of infertility among women and girls.
“The condition of rural women and girls is a cause for concern to us in Women Connect Initiative.
“The findings from our recently concluded research projects showed that there will be increased cases of infertility among women and girls in parts of the region if PDI is not taken seriously.
“This is of great concern and one of the major reasons for embarking on this,” Osae said.
Also speaking, Hajiya Murjanatu Suleiman-Shika, the Director of Women Connect Initiative, said that the campaign became necessary because of increased cases of PDI amongst rural women and girls.
“PDI is fast becoming a problem for girls of secondary school age, especially those in the north.
“There is lack of adequate knowledge on the causes and prevention of PDI and many still blame the spread of the disease on bad luck or evil spirit.
“To make it worse, many rural women believe and depend on native palliatives to treat PDI, a practice that has helped to reduce its prevalence,’’ she said.
Suleiman-Shika, lamented that girls in public schools stood at a higher risk of the infection due to unclean toilets and insufficient toiletries to keep them healthy.
“We have found out that the problem has been that of lack of information and not money as many believed.
“The PDI awareness campaign which we launched today is to take information on sustainable living to the hinterlands and public schools.
“It is a state wide campaign which would run for one month, beginning from March to April this year.
“We will also be testing and providing treatments for women and girls facing PDI.
“Our campaign is inspired by the health programmes of Future Assured, an organisation owned by Her Excellency, Aisha Buhari, wife of president Muhammadu Buhari,’’ she said.
According to the director, Future Assured is one of the committed Nigerian NGOs that has emphasised the importance of good maternal health and has also done well to support rural women and girls in the north. (NAN)