Nigeria loses N132b to malaria yearly –Report
From PAUL ORUDE, Bauchi
Thursday, September 3, 2009
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For two days, journalists from both the print and electronic media in Bauchi State converged on the Federal College of Education (FCOE), Azare for a two-day orientation and training organised by the World-Bank assisted malaria control booster project on malaria control.

The topic was Malaria Control: Basic Information on Key Interventions. According to one of the facilitators, Idris Usman Sambo, Deputy Director Communications of Bauchi State Agency for the Control of Tuberculosis, Malaria, Leprosy and HIV/AIDS (BACATMA), the topic was paramount.

Sambo explained that people relied on journalists for their day to day social lives and their role is very crucial because of the fact that the fight against malaria is a collective one.
At the end of the exercise held between 14th and 15th August, 2009, participants came up with observations and far-reaching recommendations.
One of their observations was that in spite of various efforts made by governments and donor agencies to control malaria, it remains one of the deadliest killer diseases in Nigeria.

An overview of malaria implementation in Nigeria shows that N132 billion is lost to malaria annually in form of treatment costs, prevention, loss of man hours among others. Fortunately or unfortunately, malaria is preventable and treatable.
Disclosing this, one of the resource persons, Dr. Yakubu Shirama said 60 per cent of out-patients visits in Nigeria are due to malaria adding that the disease affects five times as many people as HIV/AIDS, leprosy, measles and tuberculosis.

Malaria, caused by the plasmodium parasite as a result of mosquito bite is responsible for 30 per cent of childhood mortality, 25 per cent of infant mortality and 11 percent of maternal deaths in Nigeria.
Malaria manifests in fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, joint pains, loss of appetite and in severe cases, bleeding. Shirama said the focus of interventions of malaria control in Nigeria is in the areas of improvement in case management, promotion of Intermittent Prevention Treatment (ITP) for pregnant women.
Others he added include promotion of Integrated (ITNs), environmental management, conduct of Operational Research and fostering unit and dynamic partnership.

A review of the Abuja targets showed that by the end of 2010, 80 per cent of persons affected by malaria should have prompt access to appropriate treatment in 24 hours, 80 per cent of children under five years and pregnant women use treated net and 80 per cent of pregnant women use ITP.
The country’s 2009-2013 strategic plan targets 80 per cent coverage for effective case management, 80 per cent coverage of population at risk for ITN and 100 per cent coverage ITP for pregnant women.
Inspite of these efforts, malaria control remains a herculean task as the disease continues to ravage the country.

The Journalists also observed during the orientation and training that the general lukewarm attitude of many Nigerians towards keeping a clean and healthy environment is the major factor responsible for the transmission of the disease by infected mosquitoes.
Speaking during the training, the Chairman and Executive Secretary of Bauchi State Agency for the Control of Tuberculosis, Malaria, Leprosy and HIV/AIDS (BACATMA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed emphasised the importance of a clean environment to the control of malaria transmission.
Admonishing Nigerians from all walks of life to a wake-up call, Dr. Mohammed, said government at all levels should re-introduction the monthly environmental sanitation, with the involvement of all communities including religious leaders in the exercise.

The BACATMA boss in his submission listed some components of environmental control to include sewage disposal, good water supply, solid waste disposal, food hygiene.
Others are vector (disease-carrying animals such as rats, flies, mosquitoes and so on) control and biological control, which involves using fish to eat up the lava (eggs) of mosquitoes or bacteria to control the lava before they are hatched.

The participants also observed that the lack of distribution of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) has worsen the malaria situation in the country just as they lamented that nets distributed to individuals are sold freely in the markets.
They also observed that lack of adequate information and enlightenment in the scourge of the disease by the media has contributed to the increase in the scourge of malaria.

the money lost i believe is not on treatment, rather it was piped away by corrupts helms men.