Sokoto releases N300m to fight malaria

Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto has said the state is spending N300 million to combat the causative factor of malaria.

Tambuwal made this known while flagging off a mass house-to-house malaria prevention program with a pledge to administer free drugs to one million children in the state.

Speaking at the event which held in the state capital Wednesday, Tambuwal said the state government has resolved to renew its push against the dreaded disease, and will deploy religious and traditional institutions to achieve set target.

He said state government, in collaboration with the Presidential Malaria Initiative (PMI) and other partners, is providing three million units of mosquito nets and Seasonal Malaria Chemotherapy (SMC) drugs to be distributed free of charge in all parts of the state.

“We are spending three hundred million Naira for training of personnel, provision of logistics, vehicles, fumigation and sanitation to combat the causative factor of the disease.

“Already, the state government has redeemed all its pledges of counterpart funding in bid to support supervision, social mobilisation and distribution of drugs to all benefiting health facilities across Sokoto state,” he added.

In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Malaria Elimination and Control, Abubakar Chika Umar, said government and partners will distribute SMC drugs free to all children between 3 to 59 months in all the 23 LGAs.

“The circle will last for four days at an interval of one month for three months. This push will be supported by 500 health facilities in the state,” he said.

Umar added that plans are afoot to establish fully functional malaria elimination units that will be established in all the LGAs in the state.

Governor Tambuwal also distributed motocycles to be used by roll back malaria officials to be posted to rural communities in Sokoto for effective administration of the drugs and other preventive measures.