We all have a role to play in kicking out malaria

Malaria is one of the world’s killers. Statistics according to Child Fund show that 3.2 billion people out of the 7.2 billion of the world population are at risk of contracting malaria while annually there are 584,000 deaths from the scourge worldwide. 90 percent of such deaths occur in Africa, most of them in Nigeria.

In fact according to Global Fund, Nigeria contributes more than a quarter of the global burden of malaria. More touching is the fact that 97 percent of Nigerians are prone to malaria.

This sad development has continued to generate concern from various stakeholders as donors who have been demanding for improvement have had to spend more. One of such donors committed to tackling malaria in Nigeria is the Global Fund with an investment of about $2billion on health matters and about 128 million Insecticide-treated nets distributed in Nigeria.

Not just the Global Fund other donors include; World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Bank, the UK’s Department for International Development among others.

It is however disheartening that  despite the huge investments by various donors on tackling malaria and significant progress in terms of increasing coverage of long lasting insecticidal nets, the country contributes more than a quarter of the global burden of malaria even though it is preventable.

This is an indication that although donors are increasing funding, people have either not used the nets or have not used them correctly and consistently.

Reports show that there are still misconceptions or concerns that the nets when used cause rashes, but medical experts have established that this may occur if beneficiaries do not follow due protocol of net use which is to air the new nets under a shade for 24 hours before use and not under the sun.

We must learn from the misconceptions which set us back in achieving our targets in the war against polio which has made Nigeria a bad example among nations of the world.

So rather than believe the misleading view it is better people try what the medical experts have advised. We should also keep our environment clean so as to avoid an habitation that breeds the female anopheles mosquitoes whose infected bites cause malaria.

Doing these will not only help in winning the war against the scourge, but also help Nigerians live a healthy life. Significant results which doing these would bring will not only be beneficial to the country but encouraging the donors and implementing partners.

Sustainable development requires we must all play our part in effecting the desired change.

Wale Osunbiyi,

Ogun State.