…Offer free Medical Services
… Intensifies community sensitization
Mary Okon
According to the World Health Organization, Over 600,000 people die from malaria infection yearly with a whopping 96 percentage of it’s casualties mostly in the sub-saharan African region.
The once upon a time endemic disease which still contribute to the rising maternal and child mortality index is receiving a match up approach through huge monetary and educational investment in it’s vector management.
To affirm that Cross River State Government is poised to stem malaria in the State, Cross River State Ministry of Health in Collaborations with other Implementing partners, embarked on Community health sensitization and Free Medical Screening to mark the 16th Anniversary of the World Malaria Day(WMD).
Speaking at the event , the Commissioner for Health Dr Janet Ekpenyong reaffirmed Government’s commitment to tackle and eradicate malaria to zero level pointing out that malaria as one of the health challenges has been an albatross in the lives of the people.
With the theme of this year as “Time to deliver Zero malaria, Invest, Innovation Implement ” the Commissioner said that the Government is committed to ensure that the vulnerable like the pregnant women , elderly and children under 5 years old have access to health care and safe delivery, through the state health insurance scheme and the Basic Health Care Provision Funds.
She added that malaria is a major disease that contributes to the high mortality rate in the country and needs to be ameliorated.
Speaking further, Dr. Ekpenyong commended the State Government and partners who have worked assiduously in various capacities towards ensuring that malaria is jettisoned applauding USAID and other partners for the supply of malaria rapid diagnostic kits , drugs, Long lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLITN) and other products.
The HCH also sensitize the people on the need to test for malaria before treatment, as not all fever is caused by malaria. She advised on the avoidance of self medication , to prevent drug resistance.
She used the opportunity to inform Cross Riverians of the upcoming LLITN campaign, where every household will have access to atleast one Treated Nets as the state has received over 2 million Nets from USAID.
The program Manager for malaria in the State Dr. Goodwill Bassey Effah said that World Malaria Day is an annual event set aside to celebrate the progress made in the fight against malaria and also to assess activities and strategies towards malaria interventions.
Dr Effah boasted that after distributing long lasting treated mosquito nets and demonstrating how it should be used,and also adopting relevant strategies like vector management which involves using insecticide spray to spray the environment, that Zero malaria is sure in the State.
Also speaking, the head of the Hausa Fulani Community in Bogobiri ,Calabar Cross River State Alhaji Danlani Garba Dogo applauded the State Government for choosing Bogobiri as a sensitization point to administer free medical screening and drugs. He assured the team of their maximum cooperation through out the exercise.
The state’s Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr Janet Ekpenyong was earlier in the day, guest to one of Calabar’s Radio station where she enlisted various achievements recorded as a state within the last one year.
walk to commemorate World Malaria Day, started from the ministry of Health Headquarters and ended at Bogobiri with free medical screening by health Personnels with the health Commissioner exercising her profession in the process.
