Lagos – A General Physician, Dr Oluwatoyin Ogunshile, on Thursday urged Nigerians to increase usage of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to protect themselves against malaria.
Ogunshile, who is the Medical Director, Good Life Healthcare, Ibadan, made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
She said that more people die yearly from malaria than from HIV/AIDS, with pregnant women and children under five as the most vulnerable group.
According to her, up to 50 per cent of the population in Nigeria is exposed to malaria attack yearly.
“Malaria is responsible for 30 per cent of childhood deaths and 11 per cent of maternal deaths.
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”Proper diagnosis should be carried out and followed by complete treatment of malaria with Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT).
“Tell Nigerians that the best and first treatment for malaria is the ACT, which is available and affordable.
” The production of good medication such as ACT in the country is to reduce the cost of funding by Global Fund of the United Nations.
”The idea of using ACT is to reduce the incidence and resistance of malaria, which is on the high side,’’ she said.
Ogunshile, however, advised against the mono therapy mode of treatment for malaria, saying, “it has to be combined’’.
She urged the media to partner with the health sector to increase awareness and sensitisation for people at the grassroots on malaria intervention and the use of ACT.
The physician said that such sensitisation should be carried out in different dialects.(NAN)
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