Fight against malaria must address counterfeit drugs —Adewole

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, has called for a strong plan of action against the challenges of counterfeit drugs in the African region as it encumbers the fight against malaria.

Adewole, who represented Nigeria at the 66th Session of the World Health Organisation Regional Committee Meeting in Addis Ababa, told guests in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune that the upsurge of counterfeit drugs and poor control mechanism remain major challenges facing the health system in Nigeria and Africa by extension.

Acknowledging that malaria was the major cause of under-five mortality in the country, Adewole said once malaria was eradicated in Nigeria, the burden of the disease Africa will drastically reduce.

He therefore called for a practical and effective regional arrangement by WHO to assist member states in kicking malaria out of the continent including tight control of counterfeit drugs.

The WHO has therefore has adopted a framework for implementing the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016 to 2030, thereby putting malaria as one of the WHO priority in the coming years.