Abia State Government says it will not hesitate keying into the Malaria Vaccine when Nigeria decides to acquire it.
The Project Manager, State Malaria Eradication Program, SMEP Comrade Obasi Ude Arua disclosed this in Umuahia Tuesday on the occasion of the 2022 World Malaria Day celebration, stating, “We are expecting the vaccine importation into Nigeria. When the country does so, we will buy into it”.
He said malaria scourge is endemic, hence the need for people to sleep inside mosquito nets, stating that the state is number one in readiness to implement the program.
In his speech, the state Commisisoner for Health, Dr. Joe Osuji said the state government has demonstrated its political will to ensure that malaria is kicked out of the state.
The state he said is the first to pay its own counterpart fund and has distributed mosquito nets, adding “I hope Nigeria will join in the acquisition of vaccine against malaria as has been done in some countries” in Africa.
When asked, the health Commissioner ruled out the possibility of the state keying into local treatment of the disease.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Abia State Primary Health Care Development Agency, ABSPHDA Dr. Chinagozi Adindu described malaria as “a socio-economic threat to the country” and is agent of sicknesses and death, pointing out that it is not caused by excess oil in the body but through mosquito bites.
In her speech after the investiture as “Malaria Elimination Ambassador”, the wife of the state governor, Deaconess Nkechi Ikpeazu said the disease is preventable and curable, hence the need to keep the environment clean.
The global fight against malaria she said, is a fight against poverty and dirty environment and challenged governments and international organizations to stand up and fight the scourge.
