A German pharmaceutical giant, Merck, has donated some praziquantel tablets worth $5million US dollars to Nigeria to fight Schistosomiasis, a new form of tropical disease prevalent in Africa. An estimated 249million people are reported to suffer from the disease, globally with more than 90 percent of those affected living in sub-saharan Africa and 64million patients, predominantly school aged children treated so far from the disease.

Schistosomiasis which is listed as one of the 17 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) prioritized by the World Health Organisation is said have killed more than 200,000 people. The disease which usually showcases symptoms of learning disabilities and anemia in children is caused by flatworms and spread through stagnant water. Over 290million praziquantel tablets have so far been distributed by the German government to countries in sub saharan Africa, including Nigeria.