Ambode, Speaker, others lead 1500-man match for malaria awareness

No fewer than 1500 persons will on Tuesday walk in Lagos to raise awareness on malaria, as part of events marking this year’s World Malaria Day.

The walk, organised by Greenlife Pharmaceuticals and Treehouse, will have in attendance the Deputy Governor of the State, Dr. Idiat Adebule; Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; wife of Lagos governor, Bolanle Ambode; Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Segun Olulade and celebrities in the entertainment industry among others.

The World Malaria Day is a global event, marked on every April 25, to raise awareness and draw attention to emerging issues in malaria control and efforts at eradication. The theme for this year’s commemoration is “End malaria for good.”

The Lagos walk, holding on Tuesday, April 26, takes off from Classic event centre on Oregun road and terminates at The Pavillion, in Alausa, where enlightenment sessions have been scheduled.

Marketing Manager for Greenlife Pharmaceuticals, Olufemi Ayekun, said that the pharmaceutical company aligns with the programmes of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to create awareness, highlight its deadly effects on humanity and how to manage it.

Ayekun said though Greenlife markets anti-malarial drugs, but it is the company’s desire to see that no child dies because of malaria.

According to estimates, at least one child dies of malaria every 30 minutes in Nigeria. And 78 per cent of malaria-related deaths across the world are children of less than five years.

“So, our mission is to raise awareness on how to manage malaria, properly have hygienic environment, but if you still have malaria, then appropriately take the right anti-malaria drugs,” he said.

National Sales Manager Greenlife, Derrick Osondu, added that the theme for the Lagos walk is #Malaria must go, to really mobilise the public on the possibility of ending the scourge to the disease in this clime.