Health
THE Government of Anambra has concluded plans to be among the first batch of the State Governments in Nigeria to take delivery of the new malaria vaccine.
The government decision was disclosed by the wife of Anambra Governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, in a statement released by her media aide, Mr Daniel Ezeigwe, and made available to journalists in Awka on Wednesday to mark the 2023 World Malaria Day.
She said that the decision was taken because of the government concern on possible elimination of the disease in the state through a well-coordinated healthcare service delivery in the state.
Soludo said that taking delivery of the vaccine which has been consented to for use in the country, would bring to an end the era of one of the commonest household sicknesses in the state.
She explained that since the distribution of over 3.8 million insecticide treated nets in 2022, malaria rate has been significantly reduced in under-five children in the State, from 77.8% which it stood as at February 2022 to 14.3 % in February 2023.
The governor’s wife also equals as the Anambra Net Ambassador, stated that insecticide treated nets used in the state has also increased from 27% in 2022 to 57% this year, accounting for a marginal decline in reported malaria cases across medical facilities in Anambra under one year.
Soludo appealed to the public, especially those housing children and pregnant women, to continue to sleep under mosquito nets because of its unlimited benefits to achieving a healthy living and a prosperous state.
She commended her husband’s administration on taking prime notice of the contributions of malaria to infant and maternal deaths, and working committedly to reduce malaria cases to its barest figure.
She also appealed to residents of the state to ensure that their environments are constantly kept clean, and advised that keeping of stagnant water and other human habits that enable breeding of mosquitoes must be avoided.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World Malaria Day is marked on April 25 of every year, and this year, its theme was “Time to deliver zero malaria, invest, innovate, implement”. (NAN)
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Tags: Mr Daniel Ezeigwe Mrs Nonye Soludo
