By Merit Ibe             

 

In its fight to end malaria, Nigeria’s  insecticide brand, Mortein, recently carried out an educational campaign on malaria prevention in cities across Nigeria.

According to the 2023 world malaria report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), 22 persons die every hour due to malaria and one out of three deaths from malaria globally occur in Nigeria.

The brand visited communities that were identified to be vulnerable to mosquito infestation, engaging people in Boundary at Ajegunle; Agbara, Makoko: Rumuigbo and Tudun Wada. The sensitisation program had actress and Mortein brand ambassador, Kate Henshaw, leading the team which was focused on educating the locals on effective ways to combat mosquitoes which are carriers and ensure malaria prevention.

As part of the campaign, Mortein carried out environmental sanitation, gave out educational flyers and provided free medical checks to educate on prevention through proper sanitation, the importance of early detection, the use of insecticides and sleeping under insecticide treated nets.

The company workers joined residents in the sanitation exercise, cleaning gutters, sweeping streets and educating with flyers to eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites aimed at reducing malaria-related morbidity and mortality in the area.

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Head of External Communications and Partnership at Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, Cassandra Uzo-Ogbugh, praised the communities for their participation in the sanitation exercise.

“Zero malaria starts with us. It is great to see that the communities are coming out in their numbers and supporting the sensitization program by Mortein. Malaria can be prevented by taking simple actions that prevent the occurrence of mosquitoes, one of which is using insecticides which kills mosquitoes and ensuring that we do not let them breed in dirty environments or uncovered stagnant water. Collectively, we need to accelerate the fight against malaria for a more equitable world,” she said. 

During the campaign, nollywoood actress, Henshaw, who also took an active role in the cleanup and leveraged the oppourtunity to educate residents on the importance of maintaining clean surroundings, said: “An untidy environment is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and by keeping our surroundings clean, and using insecticides regularly, we can prevent the spread of malaria.”

Mortein has been consistent in leading the fight against malaria and continues to demonstrate its commitment to eradicating malaria through enhanced awareness and preventive actions reflected in its vigorous efforts in communities in various parts of the country.

It has also regularly collaborated with the federal government through the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP) to promote malaria prevention education using social media and digital platforms as a tool to drive the education and importance of eradicating this disease from Nigeria.

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