Follow Us on Google
From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Senate has passed a bill seeking to establish a National Agency for Malaria Elimination saddled with the responsibility of preventing, controlling and ultimately eliminating malaria in Nigeria.
The bill, sponsored by Ned Nwoko, scaled third reading on Wednesday after the Senate considered and adopted the report of its Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), chaired by Ipalibo Banigo.
Presenting the report on behalf of Banigo, Sampson Ekong said the proposed agency would serve as the central body responsible for coordinating national efforts aimed at preventing, controlling and ultimately eliminating malaria in Nigeria.
The Senate said the agency seeks to mark a shift in the country’s approach to malaria management from treatment-focused interventions to preventive and elimination strategies.
“The agency, when established, will help shift the country’s approach from curative measures to prevention and eventual elimination of malaria,” it stated.
The agency would operate through zonal and state offices across the country and implement a strategic plan anchored on legal backing, scientific research and accountability mechanisms.
Speaking after the passage of the bill, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, described the legislation as a landmark step in Nigeria’s public health efforts.
“This is a landmark bill in the war against malaria, which remains the most common ailment in this part of the world,” Akpabio said.
Addressing journalists shortly after the bill’s passage, Nwoko expressed confidence that malaria elimination in Nigeria was both realistic and achievable.
The lawmaker disclosed that extensive research informed the proposed legislation, including a fact-finding trip to Antarctica with members of his legislative team.
“In the course of my research on the elimination of malaria, I went to Antarctica with some of my legislative aides, after which I came up with this bill. It was passed for second reading in May last year and has now been passed for third reading by the Senate today.
“Eradicating or eliminating malaria is achievable in Nigeria through a special agency established for that purpose,” Nwoko said.
According to him, the proposed agency would deploy a combination of environmental management, vector control and scientific research to tackle the disease.
“The agency, when established, shall through effective waste management, fumigation and research on vaccines, see to the elimination of malaria in Nigeria,” Nwoko added.
If signed into law, the agency is expected to coordinate nationwide malaria elimination programmes and drive efforts aimed at making Nigeria one of the first malaria-free countries in Africa.
