The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has appealed to the Federal Government (FG) to increase funding for malaria to reduce the burden of the disease and save lives.
The Chairman, Committee on Infectious Diseases for NMA Lagos, Dr Japhet Olugbogi, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Monday in Lagos.
Olugbogi made the call in commemoration of the World Malaria Day celebrated annually on April 25, with this year’s theme as: “Harness innovation to reduce the malaria disease burden and save lives.”
The chairman said the burden of malaria disease in the country was high, but that it could be eradicated with consolidated efforts.
He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted funding and interventions for malaria prevention and treatment programmes in the country.
Olugbogi appealed to the Federal and State government to reignite momentum in the fight against the disease by deepening funding and partnership with international Non Governmental Organizations.
The public health physician said the malaria vaccine was a breakthrough development, urging the government to invest funds in the vaccines to reduce childhood mortality from malaria.
According to him, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) should include the vaccine as part of routine immunization for children under five years-old when the vaccine rollout begins.
Olugbogi said global efforts should also be made to evolve malaria vaccine for pregnant women who he noted were vulnerable to the disease.
He said the government should increase funding for anti-malaria drugs for pregnant women, noting that many pregnant women hardly have access to free anti-malaria drugs.
He also called for increased distribution of free insecticide treated nets and sensitization on its usage.
“People should spray insecticide in their homes and use nets on their windows to prevent and kill the vector, they should avoid stagnant water around the homes to prevent mosquito breeding,” he said.
Olugbogi noted that filthy environment, heaped refuse and unpacked debris from drainages were a contributory factor to the country’s huge malaria burden.
He called for mass drug administration of Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for all citizens to prevent and reduce the burden of malaria.
The public health physician noted that doing that would solve the challenges of affordability and save lives.
“Some original ACT sell for as high as N2, 000; how many people can afford that?
“We know that some people have malaria like three to four times in a year, access to free ACT will help to reduce the burden of the disease and save more lives,” he said.
World Malaria Day seeks to focus global attention on malaria, and its devastating impact on families, communities and societal development, especially in Africa.
Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 241 million cases of malaria were reported globally, from which 627,000 deaths were recorded in 2020.
WHO noted that Africa carried a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden with 95 per cent of malaria cases and 96 per cent of malaria deaths.
It added that children under five years accounted for about 80 per cent of all malaria deaths in the region.
The health agency said four African countries accounted for over half of all global malaria deaths, with Nigeria having 31.9 per cent.
Democratic Republic of Congo had 13.2 per cent, Tanzania, 4.1 per cent and Mozambique at 3.8 per cent.
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