Nigeria losing $1.1bn annually to malaria, threat to development ― Ekiti commissioner

The Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, has revealed that Nigeria loses a huge sum of $1.1 billion through the negative effect of malaria, which includes productivity losses and other dire consequences on yearly basis.

The commissioner noted that malaria is not just a health challenge but a threat to the nation’s development, warning residents not to treat malaria infection with levity, which he described as a killer disease.

Filani who spoke with newsmen on Monday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital in commemoration of the 2021 World Malaria Day with the theme, ‘ Zero Malaria- Draw the Line Against Malaria’ said the statistics from World Health Organisation (WHO) indicated that the disease was responsible for over 60 per cent of hospital visits, which he said underscored that Nigeria is a huge burden country.

Describing deaths from malaria as preventable, the Commissioner advocated concerted efforts by citizens and other stakeholders towards putting an end to the disease in society.

He said: “Malaria remains a major public health problem in Nigeria and is responsible for over 60 per cent of hospital visits. According to WHO, malaria-related absenteeism and productivity losses cost Nigeria an estimated $1.1bn every year.

“We remain a high burden country and we can’t afford to rest on our oars. We need to understand that malaria is not just a health problem, it is a threat to our development. We must therefore pull out all the stops to ensure malaria free Ekiti State and malaria-free Nigeria.”

Warning that treating the infection with levity could be disastrous, he added, “That is why we made malaria kits available in all our health facilities. More efforts need to go into protecting the at-risk population, such as pregnant women and children under age five.

“The state malaria elimination programme had already targeted this group by distributing 2,300 long-lasting insecticide-treated nets in 2020 across the 16 local government areas of the state distributing nets to pregnant women in state medical facilities.

“Available statistics showed that Malaria is a killer disease especially among our children and pregnant women. We should not take it with levity and we should endeavour to go for a test before treatment because having signs of fever or headache doesn’t automatically make your disease malaria.”

Filani added that the State Ministry of Health remains steadfast to stop the scourge of malaria in the state while contributing to national and global malaria goals, towards a 90 per cent reduction in cases and deaths by 2030.

He lauded the State’s COVID-19 team on the administration of the Vaccine on interested residents, saying, “We have done very well. We were one of the few states to exhaust our first consignments. We still encourage our people to keep to all protocols that can checkmate the spread.”

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The 624 new cases reported between March 28 and April 3 is a reduction from the 849 recorded the previous week…Nigeria losing $1.1bn annually to malaria, threat to development ― Ekiti commissioner

Nigeria losing $1.1bn annually to malaria, threat to development ― Ekiti commissioner