Nigeria joins the rest the world to mark World Malaria Day
Successes recorded in the fight against Malaria in Nigeria and Africa at large is being threatened by poor funding.
Executive Director, Mr. Ade Dare
This is contained in a press release by A Nigerian based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) The Better Society Foundation, TBSF, signed by its Executive Director, Mr. Ade Dare on this year’s World Malaria Day.
The statement urges stakeholders in the health sector to remain on course until malaria is wiped out.
According to the release, four point four billion dollars has been mobilized from international partners and African Governments to make available mosquito nets, rapid diagnostic tests and drugs in Africa over the next three years.
However, the statements expresses concern that despite these efforts, the continent apparently still needs about three point six billion dollar funds for the control of malaria from this year to 2015.
The statement says malaria is one of the top killers of children in the African continent, most of them younger than five years adding that at least a child dies every sixty seconds from the disease.
It estimates that about two hundred and nineteen cases of the scourge led to approximately six hundred and sixty thousand deaths in 2010.
The statement stresses the need for all stake holders to remain focused on the fight against malaria and ensure that it is retained through the international development framework that will replace the Millennium Development Goals.
TBSF is said to have adopted three secondary schools in Lagos and Ogun state where it established Malaria Preventive Clubs regularly nurtured to educate students and communities in the areas on ways of controlling and eradicating the disease.
According to the release, the NGO is making plans to adopt more secondary schools as part of its efforts at eradicating malaria in Nigeria.
It therefore calls on Nigerians to take the fight against malaria seriously to their neighbourhoods and ensure environmental cleanliness which is the key to achieving the ultimate goal of eradicating malaria in the society.
It estimates that about two hundred and nineteen cases of the scourge led to approximately six hundred and sixty thousand deaths in 2010.
Meanwhile, the Lagos state government, south-west Nigeria has embarked on a community sensitization on environmental management against the disease.
The Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Jide Idris in an interview with journalists, said that the campaign would begin in Ifeka/Ijaye Local Government Area of the state.
Dr. Idris said the choice of the council was based on the need to ensure equity in the dissemination of malaria control information to the grassroots.
Elsewhere in Yaba Council Development Area still in Lagos state, a free health screening was conducted for people in the area as part of activity marking this year’s World Malaria Day. – By Shout-Africa Correspondent Chinyere Ogbonna
