The Edo State Government has said the malaria prevalence rate in the state is 30 per cent based on a 2020 report.
DAILY POST reports that Dr Williams Iyekekpolor, the manager of the Edo Malaria Elimination Programme, disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday in Benin while speaking on the occasion of 2024 World Malaria Day.
Iyekekpolor, who said the state is working to achieve the WHO’s zero malaria target by 2030, noted that the state had a progression of malaria reduction from 50 per cent to 30 per cent within two years.
“The World Health Organisation has set the goal for malaria eradication by 2030, and Nigeria is expected to achieve zero malaria by this time frame. Nationally, Nigeria still accounts for 25 per cent of malaria prevalence, while in Edo, the prevalence is 30 per cent as of the 2020 report.
“So we believe that between 2020 and 2030, we will be able as a state to achieve zero malaria, as we had a progression of malaria reduction from 50 per cent to 30 per cent within two years,” he said.
The malaria elimination officer, who spoke on the theme of 2024 World Malaria Day, “Accelerating the Fight Against Malaria for a More Equitable World” with the slogan “Change the Narrative; Do the Needful,” said a collective effort is needed to fight against the disease.
He said the state government is currently offering free malaria testing and treatment using the rapid diagnostic test in all its Primary Health Care centres.
He also added that the state insurance scheme has a close-to-free malaria treatment plan for patients registered in the scheme.
“If you go to our outpatient departments, in our hospitals, you will discover that 80 to 85 per cent of the patients are malaria-infected,” he added.
He advised residents to sleep under long-lasting insecticidal nets, ensure a clean environment without stagnant water and seek prompt treatment when sick with malaria.
He disclosed that a road walk across the city centre, as well as free malaria screening and treatment, were part of the activities lined up to mark the day.