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Timothy Olanrewaju Maiduguri
As the raining season enters its fourth week, Borno State Government has kicked off the seasonal Malaria prevention campaigns.
Deputy Governor, Alhaji Usman Kadafur, while flagging off the 2020 Seasonal Malaria Chemo-prevention (SMC) Campaign in Maiduguri, the state capital at the weekend, appealed to parents and guardians to avail their children and wards the opportunity to be administered with anti malaria drugs. He commended the World Health Organisation (WHO) for organising the campaign.
While describing the Internally Displaced Persons as most vulnerable group, Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar El Kanemi, urged WHO to take the campaign to the door-steps of the IDPs camps in the state. WHO Coordinator in Borno, Dr. Audu Idowu, said the organisation decided to kick off the malaria prevention campaigns from the Shehu’s palace to seek the blessing of the royal father.
He said the chemo preventive drugs were useful for the prevention of Malaria infection from affecting children from three months to 59 months.
“This will reduce significantly morbidity and mortality among children,” he said
The United States Embassy in Nigeria and WHO in their reports said Malaria was responsible for estimated 300,000 deaths per year.
The groups also disclosed that it contributes to about 11 percent maternal mortality with children from five years and below, more vulnerable.
Malaria is caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through bites of infected female mosquitoes though preventable and curable.
WHO said it was carrying out the prevention campaigns in 25 of the 27 local governments in the state, leaving out Marte and Abadam LGAs considered to be hard -to -reach due to insecurity.
