Lagos Pledges to Improve Innovation, Deploy New Tools to Combat Malaria
The Lagos State government has pledged to scale innovation and deploy new tools to combat malaria, just as it restated its commitment to eradicate the disease from the state.
Speaking during an awareness walk to commemorate this year’s World Malaria Day in Lagos, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi highlighted the essence of the theme, “Harness Innovation to Reduce the Malaria Burden and Save Lives”.
Abayomi, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, explained that the present administration is committed to tackling the bane of malaria.
The commissioner added that this would be done by using a multi-pronged approach including environmental management and integrated vector control for the prevention of malaria; effective diagnosis and appropriate treatment of malaria cases.
Others would be monitoring and evaluation with emphasis on operational research. “The use of its results for evidence-based programming remains a major public health challenge in the state.”
He, however, bemoaned that the disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children under-five years of age and pregnant women. He described them as the most vulnerable people to the menace.
According to Abayomi, this year’s theme highlights the fact that no single tool available today will solve the issues caused by malaria.
Rather, he said, collective actions involving improved investments, contemporary and enhanced vector control approaches, diagnostics and antimalarial medicines would enhance the combat against the disease.
“These investments involve substantial funding, domestic support and donors. A commendable investment is the collaboration between Lagos State Ministry of Health and Godrej Nigeria Limited, producers of GoodKnight Insecticides to commemorate the Year 2022 World Malaria Day,” says the commissioner. On his part, the Managing Director, Godrej West Africa, Chitwan Singh, pledged his company’s support to the control and elimination of malaria in Lagos, Nigeria.
He noted that it is essential for state and non-state actors to consolidate efforts in the fight against malaria leveraging public private partnership.
Singh cautioned that malaria is a challenge within control, hence, the need for collaboration to enlighten, draw attention to and involve the right tools and technology to combat the disease in a meaningful and significant way.