The Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, said that the drugs would be given to patients free of charge when they present themselves for test and treatment at the primary health facilities in their localities.
Filani, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, spoke in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, during the commencement of the distribution of the anti-malaria drugs under the Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transformation Services project of the World Bank.
He said that malaria had been identified as one of the toughest diseases not only in the country, but sub-Saharan Africa, adding that the commodities were procured to achieve effective management and treatment of the disease in the state.
Filani called on the officials at the health facilities to be responsible to the people especially at the grassroots who were mostly affected by malaria and as well keep proper records of the commodities as they were being distributed.
He said, “We are all know that malaria has been a tough war in the sub-Saharan Africa and all energy is being put together to eradicate it in our society. It is a serious disease that should be defeated with supports from all stakeholders.
“It is going to be in phases, but what we are having now will cover 200 health facilities out of the 774 in the state. It is particularly for malaria treatment. We also have drugs that can be used at the secondary facilities to treat malaria.
“We want to stop our people’s tendencies for self-medication for malaria treatment. I want to advice our people to approach these health facilities to get drugs free of charge for malaria treatment and make use of the opportunities provided by the governor. It is safer and effective for malaria management,” he said.
The Project Coordinator, Mrs Helen Bankole, said that Ekiti alongside Lagos, Abia, Borno, Imo and Rivers states were selected to be part of the project by the World Bank in a bid to defeat the malaria disease.
Bankole said, “As of today, Ekiti is the first state on the World Bank-funded Malaria Project to have concluded the NSA-engagement and payment of mobilization fee culminating in the commodities distribution to 200 health facilities that were selected based on their target population as specified by the project,” she said.
