How FCTA marked 2024 World Malaria Day with free mosquito nets to residents

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) marked the 2024 World Malaria Day celebrations with donation of thousands of insecticide treated nets to residents of the Territory, to help accelerate fight against the malaria disease.
The Mandate Secretary of FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, (HSES) Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, said the FCT is united with the World in a steadfast commitment to eradicate malaria disease, which has been a long-time burden to Nigeria as a nation.
Fasawe, who was represented by the HSES Permanent Secretary, Dr. Baba-Gana Adam opined that the incidence of malaria in FCT poses a pressing concern owing to the fact that a substantial number of cases have been reported and confirmed in health facilities with the risk of transmission existing throughout the Territory all year round.
According to her, to face the disease head on and tackle its prevalence in FCT and Nigeria in general, using a multifaceted approach among other activities to undertake, “the distribution of free Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) is the FCT Administration role of ensuring the increase of usage in households within the FCT to avert malaria and save lives, especially children who are mostly susceptible to the disease.”
She called on stakeholders from community to international partners to work in solidarity in tandem with 2024 theme so as to bridge the gaps in health equity so that inequalities that persist in healthcare systems will be addressed, thereby, winning the war against the disproportionate impact of malaria on the vulnerable including pregnant women, young children and those in impoverished areas.
Also speaking, the Director of FCT Public Health Department, Dr. Doris John, explained that malaria is a killer disease especially among Children, and it has become pertinent that a day is designated to celebrate and mark strides achieved so far, in dealing with the disease while devising new tactics to fight against the disease, hence the reason for the medical outreach with testing, treatment and distribution of free insecticide treated nets and physical demonstration on how to use the nets being the highlights of the day.
Similarly, Dr Chibuzor Ogboma of Malaria Consortium, said that Malaria Consortium has been in partnership with FCT since 2022.
Ogboma added that the partnership is an effort to eliminate malaria by supporting implementation of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) in the six FCT Area Councils; saying that “so far the Malaria Consortium has helped in reaching children between age 3-59 months with preventable treatments drugs.”
Not left out, the Programme Manager, FCT Malaria Control Programme, Dr. Dan Gadzama, urged residents to utilize the opportunity and get tested of malaria, so that free treatment can be administered to them.