As the fight for the eradication of malaria fever intensifies in countries across the world, Nigeria still accounts for 25 per cent of cases of malaria fever in the world.
The Manager of Edo Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr Williams Iyekekpolor, disclosed this on Thursday in Benin, while speaking on the occasion of the 2024 World Malaria Day.
Iyekekpolor who further disclosed that Edo accounts for 30 per cent of malaria reported in Nigeria, however, assured that says the State is working to achieve the WHO’s zero malaria target by 2030.
According to him, the State currently offers free malaria testing and treatment using the rapid diagnostic test in all its Primary Health Care centres as measures to eradicate the disease.
“The World Health Organisation has set the goal for malaria eradication by 2030, and Nigeria is expected to achieve zero malaria by this time frame.
“Nationally, Nigeria still accounts for 25 per cent of malaria prevalence while in Edo, the prevalence is 30 per cent as of 2020 report.
“We believe that between 2020 to 2030, we will be able as a state to achieve zero malaria as we had a progression of malaria reduction from 50 percent to 30 percent within two years,” he said.
The malaria elimination officer also said that the State Insurance Scheme has a close to free malaria treatment plan for patients registered in the scheme.
Speaking on the theme of the 2024 World Malaria Day: Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world, Iyekekpolor noted that a collective effort was needed to fight against the disease.
According to him, “If you go to our out patients departments, in our hospitals, you will discover that 80 to 85 per cent of the patients are malaria infected.
“The theme for this year malaria day is Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world, and the slogan is: change the narrative; do the needful.”
The malaria expert therefore called for sleeping under long lasting insecticidal nets, ensuring clean environment without stagnant water as well as seeking prompt treatment when sick with malaria.
