Nigeria records 25 percent of global malaria deaths -Expert

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Dr Ohunene Usman of the Department of Community Health, Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna state has said Nigeria contributed 25 per cent of the 425,000 malaria deaths recorded in 2017.
She stated this in a paper presented at the Dauda Fearon Foundation anniversary held in Kaduna yesterday.
According to her, Nigeria is closely followed by Democratic Republic of Congo with 11 per cent, Mozambique 5 per cent, India and Uganda 4 per cent respectively.
Dr Usman said malaria which is caused by Plasmodium parasites spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, called “malaria vectors”.
She added that malaria is an acute febrile illness which symptoms usually appear 7-15 days , saying the symptoms includes fever chills, headache, muscular arching and weakness, vomiting, cough, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
Dr Usman explained that people who are prone to malaria are; under 5 years of age children, pregnant women, sickle cell disease patients, patients with HIV/AIDS and travellers.
She said environmental management should be consider as the bedrock on which malaria can be prevented and control.
Similarly, Dr Grace Nmadu while speaking on meningitis which killed the late Fauda Fearon described Meningitis as an infection that affects the delicate membranes called meninges, that cover the brain and spinal cord, and could be life threatening, adding that every year more than 1.7 million people worldwide suffer meningitis.
Speaking on the Foundation, the Patron, Mrs Comfort Idowu Fearon, said the foundation was set up to assist people achieve the dream of late Dauda Fearon who wanted to be a medical doctor before his demise.
She said presently a medical doctor, Godwin Yohanna Abrak has been successfully trained by the foundation and is currently practicing at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna.
She added that other medical doctors were presently being sponsored in various institutions by the foundation.
The father of the deceased, Bishop Idowu Fearon, said even though they lost Dauda Fearon, they have gained another son in person of Dr. Godwin Abrak, who ordinarily wouldn’t have become a doctor but the foundation supported him to achieved his dream.