Nigeria’s healthcare sector continues to be ravaged by mosquito related diseases and as a part of the efforts aimed at checking this parasite and ensuring that every individual life is a healthy life, the three tiers of government, in collaboration with numerous organizations like UNICEF, Society for Family Health, Catholic Relief Services and the World Health Organizations (WHO) have been distributing insecticide-treated nets to various urban and rural environments, since the distribution of free mosquito nets commenced to eradicate malaria worldwide.
The governor of Niger state, Gov Abubakar Sani-Bello is the recent one to inaugurate the distribution of insecticide-treated nets across the state. Budgeted at the distribution of 3.7 million nets, Sani-Bello said that the initiative was designed in collaboration with some organizations to curb the prevalence of malaria infections in the state. Statistics show that malaria is one of the leading diseases that have led to deaths globally and specifically in Nigeria, with children and pregnant women mostly affected by this prevalence.
State governor orders illegal clinics and hospitals to be closed down.
Reports indicate that some of the organizations that collaborated with the Niger state government include the Catholic Relief Service, Society for Family Health, Chemonics, as well as support from the Global Funds. Sani-Bello thus noted that this health intervention was commencing at a very crucial moment when there is a need to change the narratives surrounding the healthcare indices for an enhanced healthcare system that will serve the people properly and immensely improve lives, especially women and children. The Society for Family Health have been so pivotal in the distribution of these insecticide-treated nets across the country.
The governor, however instructed the state’s Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies to ensure the closing down of illegal clinics and hospitals within the state. Sani-Bello asserted that importantly, every lives in the state must be accounted for, and every death properly investigated. He also added that the health sector have overtime being operating its facilities without sufficient manpower, healthcare equipment and required capacity. He stated that the illegal healthcare facilities have been responsible for most of the death cases in the state.
ITN, a crucial strategy towards preventing and eliminating malaria.
Emphasizing the instruction for the necessary agencies to carefully investigate the death cases, the governor stated that the Ministry of Health on investigation, during this investigation must determine these death cases, if it was malaria or other diseases, affected locations, negligence or human error. Also, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire also stated that the designated use of insecticide treated nets across the state and country at large was a crucial strategy towards preventing and eliminating the prevalent malaria induced diseases.
Dr. Abubakar Usman, the Chief Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Bida, who represented the Minister of Health at the event noted that states like Niger, Delta, Kaduna, Taraba, Yobe and Anambra have hugely benefitted from the 2022 Malaria Intervention scheme in the country. Muhammad Maikudi, the Commissioner for Health in the state also admitted that the distribution of mosquito nets was posed at reducing the rate of malaria in the state to 33 percent.
Global Funds, CRS commended for their efforts at reducing cases of malaria.
Dr. Jennifer Anyanti, Deputy Managing Director at Society for Family Health immensely commended the combined efforts of Global Funds and Catholic Relief Services towards the reduction of morbidity and mortality rates caused by malaria. She noted that with this innovation, subsequent surveys will witness an improvement against the cases of malaria in the state and country generally. Mr. Emmanuel Abuh of Information and Communication Technology for Development also stated that over 2500 doses have been deployed to further help the state oversee an effective and seamless distribution of the insecticide treated mosquito nets.
Related Link:
Malaria Journal: Website
