By Donald Ojebo
ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Government has reiterated its commitment to partner with relevant bodies with the view to provide effective control of Malaria around the globe.
The Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye made this known today in a statement in Asaba as part of measures to mark the 2022 World Malaria Day.
According to the statement, the theme for the year 2022 celebration is “Advance Equity. Build Resilience. End Malaria” while the slogan is “ Every Effort Counts” with focus on prevention as a critical strategy for reducing the toll of a disease that continues to kill more than four hundred thousand (400,000) people annually.
“Whether you are a government, a company, a charity organization or an individual you can roll back malaria and help generate broad gains in multiple areas of health and human development” the Commissioner disclosed.
Explaining the rationale behind the yearly celebration on every 25th day of April, the statement said it arose from the Abuja Declaration of the Africa Summit on Roll Back Malaria held in April 25, 2000 and signed by all the Heads of States in attendance where they committed themselves to an intensive effort to reducing to halve Malaria mortality in Africa by the year 2010 through the implementation of strategies and activities agreed on at the summit.
The statement revealed that the implementation in the last decade has moved to the next phase which is the elimination phase.
It further said that since the year 2000, malaria prevention has played an important role in reducing cases and deaths primarily through the universal coverage of nets campaigns and its subsequent routine distribution and replacement campaigns among other measures.
“I am very much aware that Delta State is due for a replacement campaign and arrangements concluded for a successful campaign scheduled for the months of May and June, 2022 the Commissioner revealed.
“Sustaining malaria control efforts is an investment for development, continued investment in malaria control now will propel Delta State along the path to achieving Sustainable Development Goals, especially those relating to improving child survival and maternal health, eradicating extreme poverty and expanding access to education,” the statement added.
He said the disease is usually contracted through mosquitoes’ bite and that breeding of mosquitoes is associated with poor sanitation, particularly in environments that harbor stagnant pools of water.
The statement said that though malaria was a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five years and pregnant women, investments in malaria control had created unprecedented momentum.
It said that such investment had yielded remarkable returns in the past years in that malaria deaths have been cut by one-third within the last decade and incidence has reduced by 50% in the same time period as child mortality rates have fallen by approximately 20% in the country.
“Delta State needs significant strong partnership, integrated efforts and effective collaboration to further reduce the burden of the disease. Partnership provides an opportunity for the States and her partners, including LGAs and communities to scale up on achievements in malaria control and other diseases of public health importance,” the statement explained.
