Nigeria can’t end malaria without grassroots mobilization, says MSN
Kasara Chukwuma, Abeokuta
The Malaria Society of Nigeria (MSN) has said that the federal government cannot win the fight against malaria by only focusing its awareness campaign and efforts to combat the disease only in the urban areas and cities while neglecting the rural communities.
President of MSN, Dr. Babajide Puddicombe, stated this while addressing residents during a free testing for malaria parasite and presentation of drugs to residents of Itele Community in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun state.
The free malaria testing and donation of malaria drugs was done by MSN in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos.
Dr. Puddicombe, who taught the residents on how to protect themselves against malaria through environmental cleanliness and by sleeping under insecticide treated nets, said that “to phase out malaria in Nigeria, the government must concentrate more awareness and efforts at the grassroots level in the fight against the disease. Government must realize that it cannot beat malaria without grassroots involvement and participation.
“So far, government is not fighting malaria as it should because rural communities are left out in the fight.”
Besides increased grassroots awareness and involvement, Dr. Puddicombe added that the best way government can defeat malaria is to join forces with non-governmental organizations like the MSN in the fight against the disease, stressing that the government cannot do it alone.
“We have passion in the fight against malaria and control activities. So, government at all levels should join hands with us. We are ready to go to any part of the country to raise awareness about the scourge provided there is a sponsor,” he said.
He noted that the society would continue to take its awareness campaign to the rural areas with the overall objective of ensuring that malaria is brought under complete control.
Also speaking, the Head, Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, NIMR, Dr. Olugbenga Aina, implored the government to come to rural areas with its malaria intervention programmes, stating that the prevalence of malaria was more in the rural areas than in urban areas where government was concentrating its efforts.
He also urged that adequate attention be paid to children above the age of five in the fight against malaria, revealing that the prevalence had shifted from children under the age of five to those above five.
Over 400 Itele residents were screened during the exercise, including the Oba of the community, Dr. Mufutau Kasali and his wife, Managing Director of F&F Group and sponsor of the programme, Mr. Femi Onamusi, pregnant women, children and the elderly.
