FG, ExxonMobil, others collaborate to fight malaria

The federal government is collaborating with the private sector to help eliminate the burden of the treatment and prevention of malaria.

Experts estimate that it cost Nigeria about N450 billion on the fight against tropical disease annually.

Minister of state for health Dr. Khaliru Alhassan speaking at the launch of a new campaign known as “Nigthwatch” to commemorate the world malaria said only the government could not win the fight against malaria without assistance from private sector.

The campaign is to be coordinated by another partner, “Malaria No More” and the Federal Ministry of Health in two states.

“The theme is very apt to our situation, given the fact malaria is still a major threat to public health of the good people of Nigeria, undermining socio-economic development and causing the nation a whopping sum of N450 billion annually in treatment and preventive costs,” he said.

It is responsible for 11% of death in pregnant women and accounts for 30% of all deaths in children under five years of age, the minister said.

Chairman and Managing Director of the ExxonMobil’s upstream affiliates in Nigeria, Mr Nolan O’Neal said the campaign was necessitated by the company’s experience of devastating health and economic impact of malaria in the country.

Represented by General Manager, Abuja office of the corporation, Mr Eyinaya Onakala, O’Neal said: “Despite being both preventable and treatable, malaria continues to kill approximately 627,000 people a year, most of them children under the age of five.