Mr Abdullahi Candido, Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), says the council’s Department of Health and Environment and other stakeholders should intensify efforts in sensitising rural communities on Malaria.
Candido said this at the opening of the Free Malaria Test and Treatment Campaign in Abuja on Thursday.
The event with the theme: “Every Effort Counts’’, is organised to commemorate the 2022 World Malaria Day, celebrated annually on April 25.
He said that it was important to raise awareness about malaria since it had been recognised as a killer disease.
“Every effort by the government to end malaria out of this area council has been an annual event.
“We decided to carry out this campaign due to the rampant cases of malaria outbreak in our localities.
“We need to make proactive efforts to sensitise people on what to do by encouraging them to maintain a neat environment.
“This is because we want a healthy life among residents of the area council,” he said.
Dr Modupe Adeyinka, Head of Department, Health and Social Services, AMAC, said that the screening and treatment would be extended to the primary healthcare centres in the 12 wards of the area council.
“We are going to our facilities, at least one facility in each of the wards to carry out the exercise to commemorate the World Malaria Day.
“Malaria is still with us and it is endemic in this country and killing people; that means many of us go about with malaria without us knowing.
“Just like our theme says, every effort to kick malaria out of the area council will be worthwhile as all hands must be on deck,” she said.
On his part, Dr Dan Matthew, Malaria Control Officer, AMAC, said the council would continue to make efforts at enlightening residents on how to prevent the disease.
“There are multiple activities that we will carry out; for instance, there is another exercise coming up soon which is called, `Seasonal Malaria Chemo-Prevention.
“This is going to be from house-to-house and it is for children under five years, all in our effort to prevent malaria,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event featured distribution of treated mosquito nets to pregnant women, free malaria screening and treatment as well as free deworm drugs.(NAN)
