The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said it would harness creative innovation to eradicate malaria in the territory.
The Mandate Secretary for FCTA Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr Abubakar Tafida, made this known at the 2022 World Malaria Day, which held at the Federal Capital Development Authority’s conference hall, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the 2022 World Malaria Day is,”Harness innovation to Reduce Malaria Disease Burden and Save Lives”.
Tafida said the FCT malaria disease burden in 2021 accounted for 70 per cent of out-patient visits, 40 per cent of hospital admissions. with total malaria cases reported at 289,957 and a malaria prevalence rate of 35.4 per cent.
“The situation in the FCT is also critical, there is stagnant water, which is characteristic of the ever-enlarging slums across the FCT, are the breeding ground for the Anopheles mosquitoes.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bites from Anopheles mosquitoes cause malaria.
Tafida, however, said that the FCTA had strategically adopted multi-pronged approach towards reducing and controlling the menace of the disease.
“This is through free treatment and diagnostic testing of malaria cases in some selected primary health care facilities.”
According to him, the administration was providing free malaria treatment and prevention service during the twice a year maternal, new born and child health week.
Similarly, Tafida said that the FCTA had integrated supportive supervisory visit to health facilities across the FCT, to ensure quality malaria control service delivery.
He revealed that as part of efforts to reduce the burden of malaria, the FCTA had distributed 168,000 long lasting insecticide treated nets to communities and health facilities across the six Area Councils for the target population, who are the pregnant women and children under five.
Dr Olusola Oresanya, Country Technical Coordinator, Malaria Consortium, while delivering lecture on controlling malaria in Nigeria, said that malaria was a treatable and curable disease.
She emphasised the need for schools to enforce the use of malaria bed net to prevent children from malaria.
NAN reports that the event was attended by the students of the FCT School of Nursing and Midwifery, officials of the FCT Secondary Education Board, representatives of the General Manager, FCT Water Board.(NAN)
