LASG harps on diagnosis before malaria treatment
The Lagos State Government has announced the launch of the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination & Digitisation Programme, an initiative designed to accelerate malaria elimination through digital innovations, strengthened case management, and enhanced public-private partnerships.
A Tuesday statement noted that while speaking at a press briefing at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, emphasised that the programme was a crucial step towards reducing malaria prevalence to below one per cent.
The health commissioner explained that despite Lagos relatively low malaria prevalence compared to other states, it still records an estimated 900,000 malaria cases annually.
Abayomi highlighted the economic toll of malaria, which results in absenteeism from work and school, decreased productivity, and increased household healthcare costs.
He disclosed that a key pillar of the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination and Digitisation Programme is the integration of digital health solutions to optimise malaria surveillance and case management.
He noted that through a collaboration with Maisha Meds, a digital health platform, Lagos will deploy real-time electronic malaria reporting systems across public and private health facilities, ensuring swift and accurate data collection.
“The new programme mandates compulsory Rapid Diagnostic Testing before any malaria treatment is administered. This initiative will ensure that only confirmed malaria cases receive anti-malarial treatment. It will also reduce the misuse of antibiotics, which is a major driver of drug resistance,” Abayomi noted.
“This means that, whether a patient seeks treatment at a public hospital, private clinic, or neighbourhood pharmacy, they will receive the same high-quality malaria diagnosis and treatment based on the state’s guidelines,” he said.
