The Federal Government spends over N420bn annually on the treatment of malaria, while over 77 per cent of malaria patients indulge in self-medication, the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Control Programme, Nnenna Ezekwe, has said.
Speaking during a campaign against malaria self medication in Abuja on M0nday, she stated that Nigeria contributed 25 per cent of the total malaria burden globally, adding that in every 30 seconds, a child dies of malaria in the country.
The worst affected in the malaria burden are pregnant women and children under five years.
Concerned by this development, non-governmental organisation, Support to Nigeria Malaria Programme, has inaugurated a campaign against malaria self-medication, tagged ‘Don’t over sabi with malaria- Test before you treat’.
Represented by the Head of Programme Management in her office, Audu Bala, Ezekwe said, “Apart from deaths caused by malaria, we also have burden issues on the economy. In fact, on the average, about N420bn is being lost on one thing or the other due to malaria annually.
“Nigeria contributes about 25 per cent of malaria burden in the world, which is very sad. You also know that in every 30 seconds, a child dies of malaria and those worst affected are children under five and pregnant mothers. So, we can’t sit and watch this very vital part of our human resource wasted because of a disease that is preventable.
“We did behavioural change and communication and through all these measures, between 2000 and 2010, we were able to reduce malaria burden in the country by 50 per cent and now through some of the surveys we have done, we have seen that the prevalence rate of malaria has reduced to almost about 42 per cent and this is a tremendous achievement for the government.”
Also speaking, the Programme Director of SunMaP, Folake Olayinka, said the campaign was aimed at reducing the economic burden of malaria by 20 per cent.
source: nigerianeye
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