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The Bauchi state Agency for the control of Aids/HIV, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Leprosy (BACATMA) has said that about four million treated mosquito nets are to be freely distributed to the people in the fight against malaria especially among Under-5 children and pregnant women.
The chairman of the agency, Dr. Sani Mohammed Dambam who made the disclosure, noted with concern the prevalence rate of malaria among children and pregnant women, saying distribution of the mosquito nets would commence early next month as a preventive measure against the disease which is rampant during the rainy season.
The BACATMA chairman was speaking in Ningi Town Maternity PHC on Tuesday, in commemoration of the 2023 World Malaria Day where he said that the agency is carrying out a routine enlightenment campaign against the killer disease.
Dr. Sani Mohammed explained that the state healthcare delivery operatives choose Ningi for the commemoration of the day as part of the enlightenment drive across parts of the state, stressing that the fora would also enable them put heads together to assess the achievements and challenges of the disease control programme.
Represented by the director, Tuberculosis Control, Dr Yakubu Gida Abdullahi, the chairman noted that malaria is a great threat to the survival look of Under-5 children and pregnant women, and called on stakeholders and generality of people to put hands on deck in eradicating the disease.
He called on pregnant women to ensure that they took every precaution in fighting malaria saying that they must take all the drugs given to them at the health facilities. Integrated PHC Advisor of Integrated Health Program (IHP), Bauchi State office, Dr Darlington Okoye who also spoke at the occasion said Integrated Health Programme (USAID-IHP) has already trained over 30 laboratory scientists in the state aimed at ensuring quality diagnosis in respect to malaria disease.
He said they were poised to reduce malaria from its existing prevalence down to the barest minimum. He explained that one of the IHP support to Bauchi state is the management of severe malaria in primary healthcare facilities, and the training of healthcare workers in 475 health facilities in the state. Okoye stressed that malaria remains one of the diseases that are negatively impacting life expectancy which must be tackled at all costs. He assured that USAID-IHP will continue to support the government through its agencies to fight the malaria scourge in the state stressing that a combined effort is required in order to overcome the malaria scourge.
In his goodwill message, Caretaker Committee Charman of Ningi LGA, Ibrahim Zubairu commended the organizers of the flagging off for choosing Ningi LGA for the program. Represented by the Speaker of Ningi Legislative Assembly, Yakubu Anas, assured that his Council will prioritise healthcare delivery services in the LGA because according to him, healthcare delivery services are the most important thing.
(leadership.ng)
