Abdulraheem Aodu
27 April 2008
Kaduna — Every second, malaria kills a child in Africa and kills one million of the 500 million people infected annually in Latin America, Asia, parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, according to the Kaduna State Commissioner for Health.
Speaking in Kaduna to commemorate the World Malaria Day, Dr Peter Yari Everton said the disease is prevalent among 40 percent of world population while death toll from malaria in Kaduna State has reduced from 300 per day, before the advent of the free healthcare services for pregnant women and children under the age of five, to 80 per day.
He added that the state government in a bid to further reduce the death toll and infection in the state has budgeted N1 billion to fight the disease this year.
"In order to succeed in this war against malaria, the state has developed a strategic plan tagged 'Road Map to Roll Back Malaria in Kaduna State'. This year alone Kaduna State government has earmarked N1 billion to start the fight with the state government contributing N770 million while the 23 local government areas contribute the balance of N230 million.
"The state government has procured large consignment of Artemisimin based combination drugs for the treatment of malaria among pregnant women and children under the age of five. Plans are also underway to procure Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs) for the same group of people to protect them against mosquito bites. By the end of the year, we want every pregnant women and children under the age of five to be sleeping under insecticide treated nets.
"We have also embarked on the environmental control of the malaria vector, as the Kaduna State ministries of Environment, Local Government Affairs and Health, have combined to attack the residence of mosquito and its breeding area within the state in order to eliminate its breeding and thereby reduce its prevalence."
Everton noted that World Malaria Day is not a day of gloom and fear but a day for determination and optimism as the global community believe that the fight against the scourge can be won with adequate collaboration of all partners and stakeholders at all levels.
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