The Nasarawa State Government said it has reduced malaria prevalence in the state to less than 15 per cent in the last five years.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Gaza Gwamna, disclosed this at a media parley of the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) round four on Tuesday in Lafia.

The commissioner explained that the tireless anti-malaria scourge under the SMC initiative was supported by the Malaria Consortium (MC).

The health commissioner noted that in the last three years of the implementation of the SMC and other anti-malaria interventions, the burden has reduced drastically to 15 per cent, particularly amongst children.

“From the creation of the state the burden of malaria used to be 60 percent but was reduced to 30 per cent in 2019 and now 15 per cent,” he added.

Gwomna declared that the state government is targeting 985, 788 eligible populations, especially children under five years and pregnant mothers in 2024 to administer the malaria drugs in its effort to reduce the prevalence to zero per cent.

He called on residents of the state to regularly go for malaria tests to ascertain their status before treatment to avoid complications.

Gwamna said since the disease was responsible for the death of many people, the state government was investing much on it and other life threating diseases such as hepatitis and others.

He warned that not all fevers are malaria-related and advised residents against self-medication to guard against complications.

He further advised residents to visit any health facility in the state for testing and subsequent treatment if tested positive.

Dr. Gwomna advised the public to sleep under treated mosquito nets, adding that such practice is currently the best method to prevent malaria.

The commissioner however commended media practitioners in the state for throwing their weight of support in ensuring wider awareness is created in the fight against malaria and other diseases.