Abuja – The Federal Government on Thursday called on Nigerians to embrace malaria elimination programmes to free the country of the disease.
The National Coordinator, National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Dr Nnenna Ezeigwe, made the appeal during a media chat on Private Sector Malaria Case Management in Abuja.
She urged all stakeholders to embrace the National Policy on Malaria to bring down malaria to its lowest minimum.
Ezeigwe, who was represented by Dr Audu Mohammed, Director and Head of Programme Management, NMEP, stressed that the Test, Treat and Track (TTT) policy must be achieved.
According to her, this will help to reduce the burden of malaria in the country.
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Ezeigwe said that NMEP had used a multi-pronged approach to the fight against malaria.
“We have used strategies to fight malaria and they include sustained public service announcements focusing on what individuals and groups can do to help eliminate malaria.
“It also includes sleeping inside Long Lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets, indoor residual spraying, larval sources management, promote diagnosis with Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDTs) and effective treatment using Artemisinin based Combination Therapy (ACT).
“Other approaches involve the management of malaria in pregnancy, monitoring and evaluation, strong collaborations and partnerships with relevant bodies and organisations, effective coordination of malaria control and elimination activities,’’ she said.
She said that these strategies would ensure that all persons with malaria in public or private health facilities and those seen by community agents would receive prompt and effective service.
She also advised that that a test be conducted for every case of fever to confirm that it was malaria before treatment with ACT could be administered.
Ezeigwe also explained that the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) was 100 per cent tested and confirmed to be accurate, urging people to have confidence in the test.
She said that the above strategies would be achieved by promoting availability of appropriate malaria medicine through free, subsidised or commercial systems. (NAN)