The Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, Lagos, has raised awareness of malaria disease through a swimming competition to sensitise members, children and adults on the prevention and treatment of the disease.

The club’s president, Olusoji Henry Ayoko, said the club needs to sensitise and inform the public that malaria is a deadly disease and people need to pay attention to it for proper treatment.

He added that the swimming competition was to create awareness against malaria that is ravaging Nigeria for years, killing both young and old.

“There is no way we can eradicate malaria but we can put it in check and reduce it. If you are feeling somehow, don’t just assume it is malaria, take steps and do necessary tests and let the medical personnel tell you what to do,” he added.

Also, Chairman of the organising committee, Dr Adelaja Adeshina, said malaria is a very big disease facing Nigerians and it kills thousands of people yearly.

According to him, over 400,000 deaths from malaria disease were recorded last year in Nigeria.

Adelaja said as part of the medication, swimming is one of the ways to prevent oneself from malaria.

“So, we are connecting swimming with malaria to raise awareness on how to prevent ourselves from malaria and cure the disease.
“If you swim regularly, you increase body metabolism, so in a way it helps to put malaria in check,” he added.

Another Medical Doctor, Adegboyega Oke, lamented that children get mostly infected by malaria because their immune system is not as developed as that of adults.

He said Nigeria has about 25 per cent of people suffering from malaria in the world.

Oke advised parents to treat malaria properly and conduct tests before medication.