Yobe records 30.3% malaria prevalence – NDHS survey

From Uche Uche, Damaturu.

According to the 2019 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey report, launched in Damaturu the Yobe State capital yesterday, Yobe State has, between the months of August to December, 2018, recorded a 30.3% of the national prevalence of malaria with the month of November being the highest with 40.2 of the month’s total.
The survey also puts emphasis on the prevalence of the sickle cell disease, and, as contained in the welcome remarks of the Acting Chairman of the National Population Commission, NPC Barr. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, read on his behalf by the Yobe State Commissioner, NPC, Barr. Isa Audu Buratai, the prevalence of the disease is above 20% in the six states of Oyo, Lagos, Osun, Kano, Kogi and Taraba.
The discovery of the prevalence of the disease, he pointed out was as a result of a piloted sickle cell genotype testing of children between the ages of six to nine months which he said is the first time of carrying such demographic and health survey anywhere in the world.
The genotype testing, he stated, was carried out in a sample of more than 11,000 children between the ages of six to nine months and shows that the prevalence in Nigeria is 1.3% and that 20% of children were found to have the sickle cell trait.
He expressed the hope that, at the end of the official launch of the report, policy makers, relevant government ministries, departments and agencies, the organized private sector and other data end users would take the report as a call for action by using the data to identify priority action areas.
Speaking during the launching ceremony which took place at the conference hall of the state cultural center in Damaturu, the state capital, the permanent secretary, ministry for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Alh. Ibrahim Abba Saidu and his counterpart in the ministry for youth and social development, Engr. Galtima M. Ali, commended the effort of the national population, both at the national and state level, for conducting and presenting the demographic survey, promising that Yobe State government would study and find areas of implementation especially in the areas of youth and social development.