FCT Records 35.4% Malaria Prevalence With 289,957 Cases

In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), malaria accounts for 70 percent of outpatient visits, 40 percent of admissions with total 389,957 cases reported, and a malaria prevalence rate of 35.4 percent, according to the Mandate Secretary, Health and Human Service Secretariat (HHSS), Dr. Abubakar Tafida.

Tafida made this disclosure Tuesday, at a stakeholders interactive forum, organised by the Secretariat as part of activities to mark the 2022 World Malaria Day, with the theme: “Harness innovation to reduce malaria disease burden and save lives”, in Abuja.

He noted that this year’s theme was apt, as it is a clarion call by the World Health Organisation (WHO), for new investments and innovation to speed up the pace of efforts to control the malaria menace.

According to him, Nigeria accounts for 32% of malaria related deaths, as the disease is responsible for 60 % of admissions, 11% of maternal mortality, 25% of infant mortality and 30 % of under-5 mortality.

He adds” The situation in the FCT is also critical. Stagnant waters, which are characteristics of the ever-enlarging slums across the FCT, are the breeding ground for the Anopheles mosquitoes, whose bites cause malaria.”

The HHSS Secretary however, revealed that the FCT Administration has strategically and innovatively adopted multi-pronged approach towards reducing/controlling the menace of the disease.

Also speaking, Dr. Olusola Oresanya, of the Malaria Consortium, who delivered a talk on controlling malaria in Nigeria to the hundreds of participants consisting of health workers, supporting partners and students of the FCT school of Nursing, Gwagwalada, disclosed that Nigeria has the highest contributor of malaria burden (55.2 %) W.H.O African region.

She noted that the current recommendation is that controlling malaria should be a multi-pronged approach, hence it is not an isolated approach, if the disease is must be eliminated.

According to her, malaria is a treatable and curable disease, thus it is possible to defeat malaria in the FCT and Nigeria at large, amongst others with sustained net campaign, bringing in mechanisms to build up existing interventions for health issues, as every effort counts in the quest to eliminate health challenges especially malaria.