To tackle the prevalence of infectious parasitic diseases in the country, the Federal Government has been urged to improve the socio-economic and environmental indices and behaviour that encourage parasite transmission.

A Professor of Zoology at the University of Ilorin, Samuel Ugbomoiko, made this submission Monday in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, while delivering the 134th Inaugural Lecture of the university.

Ugbomoiko urged the Federal Government to see the occurrence of parasitic diseases like tungiasis, scabies, pediculosis, schistosomiasis and other soil transmitted helminths as “a social defect” and thus formulate the appropriate political will to address them.

In the lecture, entitled: “That We May Lay Siege”, Prof. Ugbomoiko said the advocated ‘Health-for-All-by-2020’ is likely to be a mirage if it is not backed by concerted efforts to change behavioural activities that cause the bulk of human parasitic diseases.

He pointed out that “Nigeria has the highest number of infected cases of ascariasis (55 million), hookworm (38 million) and trichuriasis (34million) in sub-Saharan Africa”.