By Ankeli Emmanuel (In Sokoto State)
Sokoto state governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on Friday, flagged-off 2022 free mass administration of house to house malaria drugs to children under the age of 3 to 59 months.
The governor who was represented by the Special Adviser on Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA), Abubakar Chika Umar, admonished all and sundry in Sokoto to continually embrace the culture of environmental cleanliness alongside personal hygiene.
While noting that malaria constitutes the major health burden to children under the age of five and pregnant mothers leading to high level of out and in patients in the various health facilities across the state, governor Tambuwal assured that his administration remained committed to the seasonal Malaria Chemo-Preventive measures.
Tambuwal further noted that their concerns for the survival and protection of children of all ages was behind the establishment of Malaria Elimination Agency in Sokoto state.
The governor further thanked all development partners for supporting Sokoto state at all times in the quest towards achieving the great task of eliminating malaria.
Speaking earlier, Sokoto State Director General, Malaria Control Agency, Dr Musilimu Adamu, decried that malaria is responsible for 67 percent of all hospital visitation leading to 25 percent of children's death.
Dr Musilimu who disclosed that Sokoto government donates free malaria drugs to 575 health facilities across the 23 local government areas of the state, however, added that they will soon flag-off the distribution of another 3.2 million mosquito treated nets.
The free distribution of malaria drugs held in Arkilla, Primary Health Centre was organized by Sokoto State Ministry of Health, through the State Malaria Elimination Agency, in collaboration with malaria consortium.
Reacting to the gesture, some of the women who were brought to wards for the programme, said they remained grateful to the state government and all development partners for taking the health of their children a top priority. NNL.
