Special Olympics Nigeria marks World Malaria Day

Special Olympics Nigeria (SO Nigeria) athletes, who recently made the country proud by winning 33 gold, 21 silver and 10 bronze medals at this year’s World Games in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, at the weekend celebrated the 2019 World Malaria Day in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The event, an initiative of SO Nigeria through her ExxonMobil Foundation sponsored Skillz for Life programme, was held at the Home School for Handicapped, Ijokodo in Ibadan.

The occasion themed: “Zero Malaria Starts with Me”, witnessed a series of activities such as the Family Health Forum (FHF), where health talks on malaria and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) with demonstrations, voluntary counselling, and testing on malaria and HIV, distribution of mosquito nets and a Unified soccer tournament.*

In his opening remark, the Project Coordinator, SO Nigeria Skillz for Life Programme, Sylvester Oboh, stated that, despite the availability of a cure for malaria, it has remained a killer disease across the country hence the need for continued awareness creation and provision of necessary support to communities prone to malaria, especially for people with intellectual disabilities.

“We also express our profound gratitude to our partners like ExxonMobil for their support, we have achieved a lot over the years in helping parents of children with special needs” he added.

The over 350 people at the event mostly intellectual disables and their family members in Ibadan and its environs, were amazed at the great work SO Nigeria was doing with PWIDs in the state.

Highlight of the event was the unified soccer match between Team Doctor and Team Malaria, which ended in favour of Team Doctor who defeated Team Malaria 5-4 on penalties after playing a 3 – 3 at regular time.

Thereafter free malaria and HIV tests were conducted and those who tested positive to malaria were given anti-malaria drugs, also insecticide-treated nets were given out.