The Zamfara State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Aisha Anka, has issued a directive for all personnel and facilities within her Ministry to collaborate with the state government and development partners in the drive to eliminate malaria from the state.
Speaking at the Ministry’s Conference Hall, Anka emphasized the government’s commitment to preventing the diversion of Insecticide Treated Nets due to the alarming prevalence of malaria, especially among children and pregnant women.
Anka underscored that malaria severely hampers productivity, leading to high rates of absenteeism across various sectors such as schools, workplaces, farms, and markets, thereby imposing significant social and economic burdens on communities and the country. She revealed that Zamfara State currently has a malaria prevalence rate of 37 percent (NMIS, 2021).
To alleviate the burden of malaria, the State Government, in collaboration with the National Malaria Eradication Program (NMEP) and the United States President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI US), as well as other development partners, is set to address the challenge by donating 3,200,000 Insecticide Treated Nets.
Prior to the distribution of the nets, Anka highlighted the requirement for household registration, detailing a household mobilization exercise scheduled to take place from 1st to 7th December, 2023, where designated personnel adorned with malaria insignia will visit households.
Quoting the 2021 Nigeria Indicator Survey (NMIS) and the World Malaria Report from 2017, Anka revealed that Nigeria records 66 million malaria cases annually and noted a reduction in malaria prevalence from 27 percent in 2015 to 22 percent in 2021. She further disclosed that the distribution of the nets in Zamfara State is slated to run from 24th December to 2nd January, 2024, with representatives of each household expected to collect their family’s net from the specified distribution points indicated on the net cards.
Meanwhile, the Program Manager of the US President’s Malaria Initiative (USPMI), Sani Aliyu, emphasized the pivotal role of the media in generating awareness before, during, and after the distribution exercise. Aliyu addressed concerns about political interference and reassured the public that robust measures have been implemented to counter any attempts at diversion.
