The Minister of Health Osagie Ehanire on Monday lamented increasing rate of malaria-related deaths across the country, saying nine persons die of the disease every hour in Nigeria.
Ehanire disclosed this on Monday in Abeokuta, when a delegation from the ministry and the Society for Family Health (SFH) visited Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Noimot Salako-Oyedele to seek support of the state government on the campaign on the fight against malaria.
Ehanire who was represented by Timi Obot, the Team Lead for the Advocacy Against Malaria, lamented that, one out of every four persons having malaria in the world lives in Nigeria.
The minister stressed the need to combat the disease so as to avoid uncontrollable death of malaria across the country.
He disclosed that, the Federal government, in partnership with SHF and the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) will be distributing over 3.7 million Long Lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets (LLINs), to households across the 20 local government areas of the state.
Quoting the World Report 2010, the Minister said, Nigeria contributed 27 per cent to the malaria burden and 23 per cent to the malaria death globally.
The Deputy Governor, in her response, pledged the state government’s support towards successful distribution of the nets.
She noted that insecticidal treated nets are form of personal protection that has been proven to reduce malaria illness, severe disease and death and implore residents of the state to key into the programme.
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker said the incidences of malaria is higher in rural areas, adding that the disease is 2.5 percent higher in adult compared to children, and emphasised that the nets would prevent contact with mosquitoes.
