The Zamfara State commissioner of Health, Dr. Aisha Anka has directed all staff and facilities under her Ministry to join forces with the state government and development partners for the success of malaria eradication program in the state.
The commissioner also said the government has made arrangements to prevent the diversion of Insecticide Treated Nets.
Addressing newsmen at the Conference Hall of the Ministry, Anka noted that the current prevalence of malaria in the state is so alarming, noting that the disease is a serious threat to children and pregnant women.
The commissioner further explained that malaria remains the most common cause of absenteeism from schools, offices, farms, markets and other places of legitimate endeavors, resulting to low productivity.
“It exerts huge social and economic burdens on our communities and country. The current prevalence of malaria in Zamfara State is 37 percent (NMIS), 2021.
“To reduce the burden of malaria in the State, the State Government in collaboration with the National Malaria Eradication Program (NMEP), the United State President’s Malaria Initiative, PMI US, and other development partners decided to tackle the problem of malaria eradication in the state by donating 3,200,000 Insecticide Treated Nets,” she said.
According to the commissioner, before the distribution of the nets, every household must be registered, saying that the exercise is referred to as household mobilization whereby persons wearing uniforms with malaria logo will visit households from 1st to 7th December, 2023.
She lamented that Nigeria accounts for 66 million malaria cases annually (World Malaria Report, 2017), quoting the 2021 Nigeria Indicator Survey,(NMIS) as saying that there has been reduction in malaria prevalence in Nigeria from 27 per cent in 2015, (MIS) to 22 per cent in 2021, (NMIS).
“The distribution of the nets in Zamfara State will commence from 24th to 2nd of January, 2024. A representative of each household is expected to go to the distribution points written on the net cards to collect his or her family’s net.”
In his own speech, the Program Manager of the US President’s Malaria Initiative (USPMI), Sani Aliyu highlighted the role of the media, stressing that the media should provide publicity before, during and after the distributions.
Aliyu noted that political interference remain one of the greatest challenges, pointing out that formidable strategies have been put in place to handle the issue of diversion.
