By Chika Onyesi The Federal Ministry of Health has raised alarm over the threat of an increase in mortality rates associated with ma...
By Chika Onyesi
The Federal Ministry of Health has raised alarm over the
threat of an increase in mortality rates associated with malaria, especially as
the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak looms in Nigeria.
The government also warned against disruptions in the
provision of services, lamenting that the fear and stigma associated with
COVID-19 has continued to hinder free access to malaria treatment and care.
Prof Olugbenga Mokuolu, a Technical Director at the National
Malaria Elimination Programme, Federal Ministry of Health, who raised these
concerns at a media dialogue, explained that the pandemic threatens to
undermine gains made in malaria control, following disruptions in supply
chains, interventions and diversion of government resources to coronavirus.
Mokolu lamented that despite efforts to check malaria,
Nigeria still contributes about 25% of the global burden of the disease as
annually about 81, 640 Nigerians die from malaria and its related
complications, accounting for 19% of the world’s malaria deaths.
He said in 2020, monthly averages saw almost three million
cases of fever reported, less than two million tested while about one point
five million cases were confirmed positive for malaria.
‘‘Records from the District Health Information System (DHIS)
showed that a monthly average of 2,241,653 cases of fever was reported at
health facilities nationwide, only 1,988,254 representing 88% were tested while
1,468,110 cases returned positive,’’ he explained.
“In Nigeria, there was the challenge of failure to seek care
because of fear. People saw the hospital as a place you could contract
COVID-19. There were delays in seeking care.
“For the malaria elimination programme, there were threats
to planned intervention and control activities following the lockdown.
“Because of COVCID-19, we stood the risk of a two to
three-fold increase in mortality if nothing was done. This was the context in
which we needed to respond as a national malaria program to the pandemic,” he
added.
However, the National Coordinator, NMEP, Dr. Audu Bala
Mohammed now says the programme has taken steps to bridge the gap created by
COVID-19 with the distribution of over 17 million insecticide-treated nets to
Nigerians in six states.
‘‘Almost thirteen million eligible children in 9 states were
reached with the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), a preventive measure
targeting children between 3 and 59 months of age within the Sahel region,’’
said.
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