WORLD MALARIA DAY: REDUCING MALARIA OUR TOP PRIORITY –ONDO HEALTH COMMISSIONER, AJAKA
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WORLD MALARIA DAY:
REDUCING MALARIA OUR TOP PRIORITY –ONDO HEALTH COMMISSIONER, AJAKA
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Awolowo Ajaka has reiterated the government avowed commitment to reducing malaria in the state.
Speaking in his office on the occasion of the World Malaria Day 2023 themed. ” Time to deliver zero malaria” said that malaria is a burden mostly in sub Saharan Africa and statistics have shown that the disease constitutes more than 60 percent of all cases that present at the health facilities and it is also responsible for 30 percent death of children under the age of five and 10 percent death of pregnant women due to its complications yearly.
To curb the disease in the State, the state commissioner noted that the government had distributed about 3million insecticidal nets to all households in the 18 local government areas in the state to reduce the prevalence of malaria.
The commissioner explained that the state has continued to do follow up to ensure increases utilization of these nets in the homes especially among pregnant women and children under the age of 5
He stressed that the follow up has yielded good results evidenced by the the newly released report by the National Malaria Indicator Survey 2021 released in 2023 which shows that the prevalence of malaria in the state has fallen from 34percent to 27 percent
Ajaka noted that the government would continue to invest in the reduction of prevalence of malaria in the state through channeling more resources, both funds and materials in the fight against malaria and bring new ideas in combating the scourge of disease as well as put into action all the ideas that have been put in place
According to the Head of Media in the Ministry, the Commissioner explained that government has been partnering with civil society organisations across the 18 local government areas to sensitize and create awareness to the citizens at the grassroots on the prevention of malaria
He appreciated the partners that have been working to reduce the prevalence of malaria in the state especially the World Health Organization (WHO), Malaria Consortium, John Hopkins University of Programmes Implemetation gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO) and National Malaria Elimination Programme Abuja
Dr Ajaka therefore called for more international partnership to enhance a collective malaria elimination in the state.
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