Tina Amanda
As the Rivers state ministry of health fights to eliminate malaria completely, the public has been urged to use mosquito treated nets to stop the scourge of malaria.
Commission for Health, Professor Princewill Chike who stated this while flagging off the world malaria day celebration with a malaria clinic and malaria fair at the state secretariat, said only 32 percent of Rivers people sleep under treated mosquito nets.
He pointed out that children under 5 years of age and pregnant women are the most vulnerable to malaria, adding that people must be tested with RDT before treatment by qualified and trained health personnel as not all fever is malaria.
“Rivers state have achieved a modest of 7.3 percent malaria prevalence which is a near transition to the expected pre-elimination target of 5 percent. There is 75 percent ownership of nets in the state but only 32 percent utilization, so people should sleep inside insecticide treated nets to achieve minimal success.
“The state government have put in so much effort in intervention strategies to fight malaria elimination, people should access safer treatment in health facilities and pregnant women are encouraged to register for antenatal and take their malaria preventive drugs during pregnancy”
Also speaking, state malaria program manager, Dr Mina Jaja urged individuals, private sectors, and civil societies to join hands with the ministry of health to stop the killer malaria across the state, stressing that not all fever is caused by malaria.
Some beneficiaries who spoke to our reporter Tina Amanda thanked the ministry health for the free malaria fair that availed them the opportunity to be tested and treated.
