Nasarawa reduces malaria burden to 15% in three years

The Nasarawa State Government has flagged of the distribution of Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine, popularly known as Fansidar or Amalar, Maldox and Amodiaquine drugs for prevention of malaria to 977, 950 children in the state.

Permanent Secretary, Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Jennet Angbazo, who made the disclosure at a media parley in Lafia, yesterday, explained that the burden of malaria has reduced from 30 per cent to 15 per cent in the state since this intervention started in 2021.

According to the Permanent Secretary, the media parley was to mark the commencement of the Seasonal Malaria Chemo prevention targeted at children between ages three to 59 months.

She added that this is the third year that the children would benefit from the intervention by the state government, which is supported by Malaria Consortium (MC).

Angbazo explained that MC is one of the largest international non-profit organisations working towards the elimination of malaria and other infectious diseases in Africa, Asia and the Americas. 

“This global intervention is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a preventive strategy for the elimination of malaria, particularly amongst children between the ages of three months to 59 months,” she added.

She commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for his continued support to the ministry and for giving topmost priority to the provision of better and accessible healthcare services to the people in the last four years.

Angbazo, on behalf of the government and the people of the state, lauded MC for their tremendous support to the state in the last three years.

She added that the drugs were technically known to be safe, effective as well as well tolerated by children in the respective concentrations used in the formulation. 

She further said that the ministry would deploy 11, 240 ad hoc staff to administer the drugs to eligible children in every household across the 13 local councils of the state.

“The staff had been trained already and are categorised – those going from house-to-house to deliver the drugs known as the Community Drug Distributors (CDD), the Town Announcers, the Lead Mothers, the Supervisors and the Health Facility Workers.

“The drugs will be distributed every month for a period of five months, from the month of June to October,” she added.

She called for the cooperation of traditional and religious leaders, as well as mothers, fathers and caregivers for the success of the programme.