Edo Still Faces High Malaria Rate

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The Programme Manager, Edo Malaria Elimination Project, Mrs Blessing Obazele, says the prevalence of malaria is still high in the state, despite government’s efforts to mitigate it.
Obazele disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Sunday.

She said that the State Government, in collaboration with international partners, had been working relentlessly to combat the disease, but the incidences of the disease had remained high.
“We have some partners helping us to fight the scourge in the state and the state is also doing its bit to eliminate the disease.
“Based on the data collected on the disease the prevalence rate is still high,” he said.

He said the international partners supplied drugs and other malaria preventive items to the state government which were distributed freely to the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and other government owned hospitals.

“We carry out free malaria tests and give out drugs free to patients who visit the PHCs and hospitals for treatment.
“We also give out free mosquito nets periodically to residents, including pregnant women who get theirs during their first antenatal visits to the clinic.

“Babies are equally given when they are nine months old,” she said.
On the challenges confronting the fight against malaria, she noted that “most persons do not sleep under the net due to heat occasioned by lack of electricity.

“Also, there is shortage of staff and monitoring vehicles to cover the state effectively”. (NAN)