To defeat malaria in Nigeria, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, has called on various communities in the country to take action against the vector-borne disease by embracing mosquito control methods such as environmental cleanliness .
Citing the importance of concerted effort in achieving a clean environment that is mosquito free, the PSN also called on the Local Council Development Authorities to coordinate and implement an environmental policy to achieve this.
Integrated management approach has been said to be the best for malaria control program, which the Society believes must take into account the breeding sites of mosquitoes.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos organised by PSN in collaboration with its Young Pharmacists Group to commemorate the 2019 World Malaria Day, President of PSN, Pharm Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, said it was possible to eradicate malaria in Nigeria if clean environment was achieved, affirming that if mosquitoes could be eliminated, malaria would also be eradicated.
Ohuabunwa said: “The PSN calls on communities to take action by cleaning their environment, get rid of stagnant water and pools, cover up gutters in residential areas and ensure that their gardens are not over grown.
“Interrupting at least three mosquito life circles can potentially stop the transmission of malaria parasite by mosquito. A concerted effort is required to achieve this.
“We also call on other health professionals to ensure quick and effective response to save lives especially in at risk populations, children under 5 and pregnant women.”
According to him, pharmacists must become more active in the fight against malaria while reminding the government on the need to carry pharmacists along in its malaria eradication programmes, stressing that pharmacists were involved in the prevention of the scourge, case management and policy advocacy.
” To end malaria for good while communities are taking action to control the vector, we must do our part by providing effective treatment. A combination of disruption of breeding and elimination of parasite from the system has been proven to lead to zero malaria”, he said.
Commenting on this year’s theme:”Zero Malaria Starts with Me”, the PSN leader said the fight against malaria should become everybody’s business.
Ohuabunwa noted: We need to educate people on hygiene. There are simple things that we can do to tackle the scourge like keeping our environment clean; like sleeping inside the insecticidal nets, and going for laboratory test when we become feverish.”
To further achieve a zero malaria country,he recommended intensive research in order to have a malaria vaccine while also appealing to pharmacists to properly counsel patients on rational use of antimalarials to avoid re-infection. Experts say malaria is still a public health challenge in Nigeria.
According to the World Malaria Report 2017, Nigeria still accounts for 25 per cent of global malaria burden. The country also accounts for 19 per cent of deaths from malaria globally.
Quoting the report he said: “Nearly 80 percent of global malaria deaths in 2017 were concentrated in 17 countries in the WHO African Region and India, seven of these countries accounted by 53 percent of all global malaria deaths. Nigeria has 19 percent, DRC 11 percent among others.”
The PSN boss also called on the Federal Ministry of Health to strengthen the National Malaria Surveillance by incorporating reports from pharmacists operating in community settings.
“Evidence currently show that most patients visit their community pharmacists first when they suspect malaria. Therefore, health data reports from community pharmacists will help improve data quality and intervention strategies”, he said.
In his remarks, Chairman, PSN-Young Pharmacists Group, Pharm Olagunju Muyiwa, expressed optimism that malaria would be eradicated in the near future with the ray of hope that the new malaria vaccine offers.
He urged Nigerians to embrace simple hygiene practices and be involved in malaria elimination.
World Malaria Day is observed worldwide on April 25 every year to provide education and understanding of malaria as a global scourge that is preventable and a disease that is curable.
