WMD: Incoming Administration Urged to Institute Radical Approach for Malaria Management
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the World Malaria Day today, a leading pharmaceutical company, St. Racheal’s Pharma, has called on the in-coming administration led by President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu to institute a free malaria management programme under the proposed fuel subsidy palliative project.
The Chairman, Pharm. Akinjide Adeosun, said the initiative was the least but urgent step the government could take to address the huge burden of malaria in the country.
Citing statistics by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the company said malaria, being the most prevalent disease in the country, deserves a priority attention by the new government using the window of opportunity offered by the proposed fuel subsidy palliative programme.
“While we are supporting cash distribution to indigent Nigerians, initiating a free programme that will offer free malaria management to everyone in all parts of the country will not only impact positively on the people’s health but will also drastically reduce unnecessary death being recorded every year from the disease thereby improving life expectancy in Nigeria.
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“According to the 2021 World Malaria Report, Nigeria had the highest number (27 per cent) of global malaria cases and the highest number of deaths (32 per cent) of global malaria deaths. The country is also reported to account for 55.2 per cent of malaria cases in West Africa.
“Unfortunately, the nation’s responses so far, have not shown a remarkable progress and the required political will to achieve a malaria-free Nigeria and the goal of reducing its morbidity to less than 10 percent parasite prevalence and mortality of less than 50 deaths per 1000 as enunciated in the 2021-2025 National Malaria Strategic Plan (NMSP).
“As a corporate entity with a mandate of promoting good health in Nigeria and the African continent through information, education, manufacture, distribution, marketing and supply of quality pharmaceutical brands we at St. Racheal’s Pharma, are in resonance with the call by the WHO, on countries to build a more resilient programmes to address the menace of malaria.
“Considering Nigeria’s huge burden of the disease, the theme for this year’s World Malaria Day ‘Time to deliver zero malaria, invest, innovate, implement’ cannot be ignored.
“This is why we urge the new government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to act swiftly and adopt a more radical approach by instituting & implementing a compulsory FREE malaria management initiative, to achieve the nation’s strategic plan,” the statement said.
The company further urged children & adults to remain alert and take their health more seriously especially in the prevention and management of malaria.
