Tina Amanda
Rivers State Ministry of Health has revealed that the last National survey of 2018, shows the state is the lowest malaria prevalence in the South-South Zone at 11%, regardless of Nigeria ranking the highest in malaria death globally in 2020.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr Ndidi Chikanele Utchay, who disclosed this while commemorating World Malaria Day 2022, said Malaria has continued to remain a disease of public health concern with global mortality of about 627,000 persons in the year 2020 alone, noting that Malaria is preventable and curable.
She explained that the fight to end Malaria and reduce the disease Incidence and Mortality rates by at least 90%% come 2030 requires core interventions such as vector control, chemoprevention, diagnostic, testing and providing treatment for cases of malaria.
“Fortunately, we have opportunities to prevent, treat and cure malaria safely in our societies., the theme for this year’s World Malaria Day is ADVANCE EQUITY, BUILD RESILIENCE, END MALARIA; Every Effort Counts. This reflects on the End Malaria strategy which sets the target of reducing Malaria Incidence and Mortality rates by at least 90% by 2030.
“Although, the current prevalence of Malaria in Rivers State is 11.3%, our resolve to achieve this target is reinforced by the intensified efforts of the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, in ensuring equity, accessibility and availability of care facilities to achieve these aims by repositioning the health sector for efficient care services.
This includes; renovation, equipping, furnishing and upgrading of health facilities in the State to create an enabling environment for partnership and collaboration in the Malaria Control Program.
‘This year’s theme ‘advance equity, build resilience, end malaria’, is in consonance with strengthening corporate sector partnership and bringing together key stakeholders to form a consortium plus an enduring and sustainable partnership with all leaders in the corporate, religious, traditional and political sectors to build a partnership for ending a disease with high and exceptional regional mortality, especially among the vulnerable age group (being Children under 5 years old)
Dr Utchay, however, said that efforts made so far in the fight against malaria disease in the state are an illustrative reiteration of shared commitment, multisectoral collaboration and consultative mobilization with high-level stakeholders to rid society of the menace of malaria in line with the new vision for a healthy, disease-free society.
“We are very grateful to all the advocate nominees whose contribution to society and development has been exemplary. We are reassured that they will also bring that level of dedication to community health service delivery, essentially because as the theme goes “every effort truly counts. We are delighted to achieve this level of mobilization in the framework of one health”.
She called on the public to get tested before commencing any antimalarial treatment as well as to sleep inside their insecticide-treated nets while encouraging pregnant women to attend antenatal care and receive at least 3 doses of the Intermittent Preventive Therapy for Malaria before delivery.
Also, Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty, King Edward Asimin William Pepple, Natural Ruler, said the call by WHO to bring in innovation that would bring new vector control approaches, diagnostics, anti-malaria medicines has become imperative following the rise in malaria cases and deaths after the steady progress recorded in the fight against malaria between 2000 and 2015.
“Sadly, as reported by WHO, a child dies of malaria every minute due to stalled funding, drug and insecticides resistance by malaria parasites and mosquitoes, and the increasing Covid-19 which has compounded the fight, leading to a resurgence of malaria and the loss hard-Won gains of the last two decades.
“It is obvious that malaria is endemic in Nigeria and remains one of the foremost public health problems in our communities, taking its greatest toll on children under five years and pregnant women. Malaria has killed and continues to kill more in Africa than HIV and Covid-19.
“It Is true that malaria is preventable and curable. In our communities, states, and nation, we can only achieve it by the level of investment, biological and environmental factors, the strength of our health systems, social demographics, political and economic realities that we are ready to pursue and tackle.
“Governments at all levels, non-governmental organizations, groups, and individuals must play their roles symmetrically to achieve the common goal of eliminating malaria. Experience has shown, as stated by the Director-General of WHO Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, that with adequate investments, robust political commitment, and the right mix of strategies, we can make major strides against this complicated enemy. Such efforts as exhibited by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) company and the United States President’s Initiative which began the distribution of free mosquito-treated nets on Bonny Island a few months ago, aimed at making the Island Nigeria’s first malaria-free zone is commendable.
“It is barely eight years away from the WHO target of attaining a 90% reduction in the global malaria burden by 2030, which makes it imperative for us to support efforts aimed at reducing the human suffering caused by the world’s deadliest mosquito-borne disease and free our communities to attain socioeconomic advancement.
“Government and relevant agencies should endeavour to adopt the three pillars of ensuring access to malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment as part of universal coverage, accelerate efforts towards elimination and attainment of malaria-free status and transform malaria surveillance into a key intervention policy enunciated by WHO. Above all, we should not relent in the sensitization of our people on the need to accept and use the mosquito-treated nets, keep our environments clean and ensure proper treatment when plagued with malaria”.
On her part, the WHO State Coordinator, Dr Okafor Chinenye, who was represented by Akuneto Reagan, maintained that Rivers is the only state in the Zone that did not see a decrease in its malaria prevalence between 2015 and 2018 while stressing that more need to be done to reverse the trend and put the State back on the malaria elimination track.
“In support of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership theme for this year, which is ADVANCE EQUITY. BUILD RESILIENCE AND MALARIA, we call on the entire world to harness innovation to reduce the malaria burden and save lives. Such innovations include the recently launched malaria vaccine.
“The WHO identifies with this exercise and congratulates the State Ministry of Health, State Malaria Elimination Programme, and other Partners, as It is hoped that this World Malaria Day would enable equity service delivery, foster coordination of resources and efforts, and engender opportunities to address current challenges, and strengthen programme capacity for better results and impact”.
