Inauguration Of Nigeria End Malaria Council (NEMC) By President Buhari, Good But Another Wild Goose Chase.
…..Focus on vector control, larvae source management through proper water management, modern drainage construction and waste management to end malaria in Nigeria.
By Naomisophyblog
Convener ; #EndMalariaInNigeria
The #EndMalariaInNigeria received with mixed feeling news of the inauguration of Nigeria End Malaria Council by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday 17th August 2022 in Abuja.
The President told the 16 member Council headed by the founder and President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote that beyond improving the quality of life, health and well-being of Nigerians, the concerted strategy to tackle malaria had both public health as well as socio-economic benefits for Nigeria.
Nigeria records the highest Malaria case and Mortality Globally and has continued to cause preventable loss of human lives, especially pregnant women and children.
In 1998, Four International Organizations united to Roll Back Malaria. They include World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP and WHO. Despite the Millions of Dollar invested, the project was a failure and Malaria continue to take millions of lives annually.
The National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP) is domiciled in the National Malaria and Vector Control Division in the Department of Public Health of the Federal Ministry of Health, yet the purpose of establishing this body is farfetched from achieving its goal.
It’s our view that constituting such council of business men and women is to continue to make business out of Malaria.
Malaria is transmitted by the female Anopheles Mosquito which survives on water and this makes it purely an environmental problem.
For too long the government has neglected factors that enhance breeding space for Mosquito and the involvement of Environmental Health Professionals as major partners in eliminating Malaria thereby focusing efforts in fighting Malaria rather than the Vector that transmits “Malaria”
For instance, the fight against Malaria is often spearhead by medical personnel’s and some cases lawyers, politicians etc who have no knowledge in Integrated Vector Control and larvae source management, but the desire to make business out of the malaria crises.
This was replicated in the recent Nigeria End Malaria Council constituted by President Buhari that comprised of business men/women, politicians and medical background individuals without Environmental Health Ministry/Environmental Health experts, Professional associations like the Pest Association of Nigeria (PECAN) etc.
We also wish to correct the impression made by the Minister of Health Osagie Ehanire and his counterpart in State for Health Joseph Ekumankama, ” The biggest challenge confronting us, which prevents the elimination of malaria, to ensure a malaria-free nation in the shortest possible time is inadequate finances to fund the NMSP”
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It’s on record that despite financial support from international agencies like USAID, UNDP, WHO and other Malaria support partners and individuals. The government through the ministry of health makes huge budget available in fighting tropical disease like malaria and the disbursement of such funds in the past 20years cannot be accounted for in paper and in meaningful projects that leads to malaria elimination, so the minister can’t say that funding is a limitation in the fight.
We call on President Buhari to immediately through the Ministry of Environment empower the Environmental Health Registration Council of Nigeria EHORECON to liaise with Professional bodies like PECAN, Environmental Health experts in drawing a National blueprint in ending the malaria Vector in Nigeria which must include modern Drainage System construction, Solid and liquid waste Management etc.
To Roll back Malaria we must Roll back mosquito as Prevention is better and cheaper than cure.
Francis Nwapa
Convener ; #EndMalariaInNigeria
