Lagos will not rest until malaria is history — Sanwo-Olu

By Chioma Obinna

Lagos State has reaffirmed its enactment successful Nigeria’s combat against malaria, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu declaring that the authorities “will not remainder until malaria is history.”

The politician made the pledge astatine the Mid-Term Review of the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination successful Lagos State, held astatine Eko Hotels, Victoria Island. The high-level gathering brought unneurotic nationalist policymakers, planetary partners, and backstage assemblage stakeholders to measure advancement connected the Impact Project and digitalization programme launched successful March.

Sanwo-Olu said Lagos had already reduced malaria prevalence to astir 1 percent.

“When we kicked disconnected this inaugural successful March, our imaginativeness was clear: to determination Lagos from a high-burden malaria portion to 1 connected the brink of elimination. Today, the information shows we are person than ever. Lagos volition not remainder until malaria is past — not conscionable for us, but arsenic a exemplary for Nigeria and Africa,” helium said.

He highlighted the occurrence of the state’s caller integer malaria surveillance system, which connects nationalist and backstage hospitals, pharmacies, and patent medicine vendors to way cases successful existent time.

“For the archetypal time, we person a level that makes malaria visible. Every Lagosian indispensable person entree to accelerated investigating and the close treatment, erstwhile and wherever necessary. No lawsuit indispensable gaffe done the cracks,” the politician added.

Sanwo-Olu urged residents to instrumentality ownership of prevention by destroying mosquito breeding sites, investigating earlier treatment, and trusting the wellness system.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, praised Lagos’ pioneering relation successful integer innovation and backstage assemblage integration successful malaria care, calling it a “game-changer.” He assured that the Federal Ministry of Health would follow champion practices from Lagos to fortify the nationalist elimination drive.

International partners besides commended the progress. World Bank Senior Health Specialist, Dr. Onoriode Ezire, noted that malaria prevalence successful Lagos dropped from 15 percent successful 2010 to conscionable implicit 3 percent successful 2022, and present astir 1 percent. He stressed the request for “zero-reporting protocols” wherever adjacent the lack of cases is documented.

WHO’s Team Lead, Dr. Maya Ngon, described Lagos arsenic “a continental exemplary of leadership, innovation, and concern successful malaria control,” pledging method enactment until afloat elimination is achieved.

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, explained that malaria was nary longer the ascendant origin of fever successful Lagos, arsenic lone 5.6 percent of cases trial affirmative successful informal outlets.

“Lagos is present a malaria pre-elimination state. Most fevers present are malaria-negative and request alternate treatment. This is wherefore investigating earlier attraction is nary longer optional — it is essential,” Abayomi said.

Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, however, raised concerns implicit investigating costs, informing that patients whitethorn bypass diagnosis if it remains unaffordable. He called for subsidized investigating to forestall misuse of malaria medicines.

Private assemblage stakeholders, including Maisha Meds Nigeria, pledged continued enactment done technology-driven tools.

The reappraisal ended with a associated solution by government, partners, and assemblage stakeholders to intensify surveillance, enforce investigating protocols, and fortify nationalist wellness communication.

With these commitments, Lagos is present positioned not conscionable arsenic Nigeria’s malaria pre-elimination state, but arsenic a benchmark for Africa’s combat against the disease.

The station Lagos volition not remainder until malaria is past — Sanwo-Olu appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.