The Adamawa State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Prof Abdullahi Isa, says the National Malaria Elimination Programme revealed over 90,000 malaria-related deaths in Nigeria every year.
He stated this in Yola while marking World Malaria Day, as the state government called for adherence to control measures to eliminate malaria.
Addressing newsmen in Yola, Isa, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Rhoda Yohanna, said malaria remained a major public health burden in Nigeria.
According to him, the National Malaria Indicator survey revealed case infection rates for malaria dropped from 27% in 2015 to 23% in 2018 nationally.
For Adamawa, the prevalence, he said, dropped to 21%.
Also, the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has urged stakeholders to explore innovative approaches to financing efforts and technologies to prevent and control malaria disease that has claimed 627, 000 lives in about 85 countries in the last year.
The governor said the move would help realise the global zero malaria target.
The governor made the call to commemorate the World Malaria Day.
Obaseki said, “As we commemorate this year’s World Malaria Day, we must reinforce efforts and strengthen alliances to reduce the burden of the malaria disease, one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases estimated to have claimed over 627,000 lives in about 85 countries in one year.
“While governments across all levels intensify efforts at improving community-focused malaria interventions, especially in hard-to-reach communities, global stakeholders must strive to bridge the funding gap in achieving a future free of malaria by exploring innovative approaches to stimulate investments in the prevention and control of the disease.”
Meanwhile, the Kano State Government is targeting to immunise no fever than 3,193,002 children within 59 months for malaria chemo prevention between now and July, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Aminu Tsanyawa, has said.
He made this known on Monday at a news conference to commemorate the 2022 World Malaria Day in Kano.
Tsanyawa, represented by the Director, Public Health in the Kano State Ministry of Health, Dr Ashiru Rajab, said “all target children must complete the four doses of the chemoprevention.”
Also known as Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention, the measure involves administering monthly doses of anti-malaria drugs to children during peak malaria transmission season.
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