The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for sustained funding and urgent action to combat malaria in Nigeria, emphasizing the need for a sanitised environment and effective use of mosquito nets. This appeal came during the commemoration of World Malaria Day in Yola, where WHO officials highlighted the critical moment in the fight against the disease.
WHO Director's Statement
Dr Kolawole Maxwell, WHO Director for West and Central Africa, addressed journalists at the weekend, noting that this year's theme, 'Driven to End Malaria, Now We Can. Now We Must,' serves as a call to action for everyone, including governments. He stressed that ending malaria requires sustained government funding, good environmental hygiene—especially during the rainy season—to maintain a mosquito-free environment, and effective use of mosquito nets.
Dangote's Call for Action
Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Nigeria's National Malaria Elimination Council (NMEC) and United Nations Malaria Ambassador, urged governments and the private sector to urgently scale up coordinated action to eliminate malaria. He described the moment as critical to ending one of the world's most devastating diseases. Dangote emphasized that while progress against malaria has been significant, it remains uneven, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which bears more than 90 per cent of the global disease burden.
Adamawa State's Performance
Buba Mathias, Permanent Secretary at the Adamawa State Ministry of Health, represented by the Director of Public Health, Nuhu Yahaya, noted that the state performed immeasurably in the fight against malaria, contributing to the overall national effort.
