From: Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Commissioner for Health in Benue, Dr Joseph Ngbea, has urged all stakeholders in the health sector to team up with the ministry in order to achieve zero malaria in the State.
Ngbea who was represented by the Programme Manager, State Leprosy and Tuberculosis Programme, Dr Igbabul Shember-Agela gave the advice in Makurdi during the Launch/Quiz Competition to commemorate the 2021 World Malaria Day.
“I enjoin all the stakeholders in the health sector to give much attention to the prevention/control of the malaria so as to eliminate it in the State.
“Malaria is a deadly disease which has ravaged the people both young and old,” he said.
He further advised the people to commence treatment of the disease as early as possible, stressing that if it is not treated early enough, the health condition of the patient might become worse.
“This is a disease that affects even the unborn children and their mothers. It affects the newly born up to adulthood,” he said.
Meanwhile, the State Coordinator, Breakthrough Action-Nigeria, Mr Dominic Usman said that the idea of the quiz is to make the students agents of disseminating malaria information to their communities, parents, peers and fellow students.
“They will help us to spread information about malaria to their people and this will enable us to achieve our target which is achieving zero malaria in the State.
“This is a pilot programme, so we started with only two Local Government Areas (LGAs), namely Gwer and Tarka respectively. We have selected three schools in each of the LGAs,” he said.
The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar represented by Mr John Garba, encouraged the students to ensure that they spread the information about malaria to their people.
The Managing Director, Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Dr Peteru Inundugh represented by Dr Iorfa Tor-Anyiin, said that malaria was gradually leaving the state based on the data generated in their hospital.
Also, the State Coordinator, Presidential Malaria Initiative for the States (PMI-S), Dr Justice Adaji, commended the ministry for coordinating the fight against malaria which had led to the drop in the State as compared to other States in the North Central.
