Lekan Salami Foundation donates 3000 nets to fight malaria

To commemorate the 30th remembrance anniversary of Chief Lekan Salami, a patron of Shooting Stars Football Club of Ibadan, Lekan Salami Foundation has donated 3000 insecticide treated nets to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, to checkmate deaths of mothers and children from malaria.

Making the donation on behalf of the foundation, Mr Yomi Salami stated that N80 million worth of mosquitoes treated nets were being distributed as part of the activities to mark the demise of his father.

Salami said that other major teaching hospitals in the South Western Nigeria were also to receive free mosquitoes treated nets, adding that some of the nets would be taken to internally displaced populations in Northern Nigeria.

According to him, “it is a way of given back to the society. We hope that the donation will go a long way to reduce mortality among mothers and children.”

Earlier, Chief Medical Director, UCH, Ibadan, Professor Temitope Alonge lauded the philanthropic gesture to meet the health needs of Nigerians, saying it was a reflection of the personality of late Chief Lekan Salami.

Alonge described the donated nets as a huge investment given that  malaria is the commonest killer of children. He added that the nets would also come useful in preventing dengue fever, another form of viral hemorrhagic fever like Ebola fever that was isolated in Mokola last year.

According to him, “what you have done is to add more value, not only to prevent malaria infection at UCH, but also ensure that pregnant women and babies below age five in the antenatal clinics of the 19 primary health care centres that UCH oversees also have these nets free of charge.

“So, you will be touching the lives of patients in UCH and patients in 19 primary healthcare centres outside UCH, Ibadan, as far as Oke Ogun area,” he declared.