Plateau State: 406 Primary Health Care Centres Offer Free Malaria Treatment
The Plateau State Government has 406 Primary Health Care Centres, PHCs that
offer free malaria diagnosis and treatment.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Nimkong Ndam, made this known in Jos on Thursday at an event to mark 2023 World Malaria Day (WMD).
The WMD is an international observance commemorated every year on April 25 to raise awareness about the malaria scourge and highlight efforts toward controlling and
eliminating the disease.
Ndam, therefore, said that “the state government, in collaboration with partners in the fight against malaria, is in the process of including 90 private health facilities to provide free malaria diagnosis and treatment.”
In 2022, the state’s Ministry of Health received malaria drugs and injectables
from its partners worth N294,346,644.
Ndam also said that “seven Olympus microscopes and other laboratory equipment worth N30,000,000 were given to the ministry by its implementing partners.”
He further said that “most secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities were given free artesunate injections for the treatment of severe malaria cases.”
The Commissioner said that the state, in collaboration with some partners, would soon begin the distribution of 30,000,000
insecticidal treated mosquito nets to the populace.
According to him, “the state’s Ministry of Health has identified surveillance as an innovative tool for the eradication of malaria and currently working closely with the University of Jos Disease Surveillance Centre.”
Ndam commended the state’s implementing partners for their support, through the provision of various commodities for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
A Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Neonatal Medicine, Prof. David Shwe said the malaria vaccine had been seen to be efficacious.
He called on the Nigerian Government to invest in acquiring the vaccine to reduce the disease.
NAN/ Mercy Chukwudiebere
