BY EUNICE EMEYAZIA
Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world is the focus of this year’s World malaria Day marked every April 25 to increase awareness on the malaria scourge.
According to a World Health Organization WHO report, 94% of malaria cases occur in Africa, making Africa the country most affected by malaria.
Transmitted to humans by the female anopheles mosquitoes, Malaria has remained a life threatening disease
According to report, symptoms of malaria including extreme tiredness, difficulty in breathing, dark or bloody urine, jaundice and abdominal bleeding begin to manifest within 10-15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
More worrisome is the fact that children under five years, pregnant women, and people living with HIV/AIDS are more at risk of contracting the disease because of their “fragile” immune system.
A visit to some local communities in Delta state, Nigeria, including the Omini-Ugboma Camp, and Cable point Market, Asaba, in Oshimili South Local Government and Ugbolu Community in Oshimili North Local Government to find out their efforts and challenges in the fight against malaria, revealed a high prevalence of mosquitoes and its resultants malaria disease in the areas.
The residents lamented the high cost of treating malaria wherever they fell sick, with some resulting to the use of local herbs, to save cost, and called for more intervention from the state government.
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Speaking on the efforts of the state government in accelerating the fight against malaria, the Director General / CEO of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr. Isaac Akpoveta said malaria tests and treatment is included in the services provided in the State Health Insurance Scheme because Malaria is one of the most common ailments in the region, and advised enrollees under the Delta State Contributory Health Scheme to follow Doctor’s prescription judiciously for complete wellness.
He said the Commission was operating various initiatives in the Social health insurance scheme to cater for all segments of the society including the indigent Enrollee Adoption Initiative, where indigent persons are adopted and enrolled, the Artisan Inducement Enrollee Initiative, where traders and artisans could pay the #7000 premium by installment while they accessed care, as well as the Tertiary Institution Social Health Insurance Programme TSHIP, designed for students, all in a bid to ensure no one is left behind in the fight against malaria and other ailments.
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The Chief Nursing Oficer, Ugbolu Primary Healthcare Centre, Mrs Chinwe Okwuedoe said the state government has continued to provide the primary healthcare center with Insecticides Treated Nets and other drugs quarterly, which are given free of charge to pregnant women and nursing Mothers, noting that under the equity plan of the state health insurance scheme, treatments for children under five, pregnant women, and the elderly (above 65), were free.
She advised citizens to avail themselves of regular medical check up and stop the habit of self-medication, as they made efforts to protect themselves and their households from malaria. NIM
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