allAfrica.com: Nigeria: What to Do With Malaria Challenge (Page 1 of 2)

Since African Heads of States summit in Abuja in 2000, every April 25 has been declared as World Malaria Day to focus attention on the devastation of the disease and enlighten the populace on ways to avoid it.

This year's event was not different as different activities were lined up last week to mark the day.

Often, when statistics from the devastation of malaria are reeled out, many are astounded as to the enormity of the malaria challenge. It is responsible for over 60 per cent of visits to hospitals and clinics. 9 in every 10 persons in Nigeria is at risk. 70 per cent of pregnant women suffer from malaria and 11 per cent of them die each year. On the global plane, according to World Health Organisation (WHO), malaria represents about 14 per cent of the global burden of the disease. Every year, 300-500 million cases of malaria are reported, nearly five times as many reported cases of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, measles and leprosy combined. 2.7 million deaths are attributable to malaria annually and about 100 countries are at risk. Malaria is endemic in about 40 per cent of the world's population.

During the course of Malaria Day last week, acting minister of health, Dr. Hassan Muhammed Lawal interacted with journalists in Lagos, where he also bemoaned the malaria burden in the country. The theme of this year's event is, Malaria: A Disease Without Borders and the event was facilitated by Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Lagos. According to the acting minister, malaria has always been called a simple disease, but this has succeeded in demystifying a masquerading killer of the under-five children and pregnant women.

"It is common knowledge that malaria is the highest cause of morbidity among under-five children leading to the death of up to 800 children of these age groups every day. This is the number of people two jumbo jets can carry and what we are saying is that for years now, we have been losing two plane-loads of vulnerable groups every day. This is serious and we must do all we can to stop it", Lawal said.

The substantive Minister of Labour said following the landmark summit in 2000, Nigeria started the Roll Back Malaria Initiative in order to meet the already defined goals of halving the burden of malaria in endemic countries by 2010. Pursuant to that, he said the Federal Government has adopted and continued to implement the following proven strategies and interventions to checkmate malaria.

These, he said, include promoting the use of long lasting insecticide treated nets; improving prompt and effective management of malaria using ACTs at both health facilities and community levels; promoting the use of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy and introducing and scaling up integrated vector management including the use of environmental, biological and chemical measures.

He said the ministry has carried out pilot projects to buttress effective ways to make sure that the interventions reach the populace for whom there are meant. He mentioned partners such as WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), NGOs and other faith-based organizations.

He said through these processes, more than 15 million insecticide treated nets in six million households have been distributed throughout the country by the collaboration of the public and the private sectors. He said the ministry has also used integrated methods partnering with the vulnerable groups within communities with these life saving interventions adding that they needed to reach over 22 million households.

According to the acting health minister, over 14 million doses of Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs) - the recommended treatment for malaria, have been distributed through projects such as Global Fund, MDG funds, USAID and funding from the health ministry. He said the country requires about 60 million doses annually.

He added that over 3 million doses of sulphadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) have been provided to pregnant women to prevent adverse outcomes and deaths of pregnant women.

"We are also stepping up our vector control intervention to assist significantly in the reduction of mosquito density. In this regard, integrated vector management has been piloted and efforts are on to scale up this intervention. In partnership with the Ministry of Environment, we are also putting in place effective environmental management strategies such as house to house inspection, environmental sanitation exercise on monthly basis", Lawal stated.

He added that the ministry was on the verge of a major scale up of all these activities and interventions. He said the challenge posed by the malaria epidemic has made it duty-bound.

"We shall mobilize N150 billion internally and externally for malaria control in the next three years. The Federal Government under President Umar Yar'Adua is committed to improve funding for malaria control. The improved MDG funding helps to fight malaria, complements government, incountry partners and stakeholders' efforts in fighting malaria", he said.

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