The Government of Ekiti state has restated its commitment to eliminating malaria from the state, especially as the disease has led to the death of many across the country.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services in Ekiti State, Dr Oyebanji Filani disclosed this during the Annual Malaria Operation Plans meeting in Ado Ekiti.
Lafiya360 reports that Filani revealed that malaria accounts for more than half of all cases brought to hospitals in Nigeria every day. Also, the country bears the highest burden of the disease in Africa.
The Commissioner, while stating that the government has been deploying various means to reduce or eliminate malaria, explained that the Ekiti State Ulerawa Health Intervention Programme continues to provide free malaria treatment for children under age five and adults in all accredited primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in the state.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Mrs Olusola Gbenga-Igotun urged all relevant stakeholders to collaborate to protect Ekiti residents, particularly pregnant women and children, from malaria and other related health problems.
In her presentation, a representative from the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Dr Ene Samdave stressed that the Programme is committed to ridding the country of malaria.
Samdave stated that the goal is to achieve a parasite prevalence of less than 10 per cent and to reduce malaria deaths by 2025 significantly.