Speech

AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE HON COMMISSIONER FOR HEALTH, DR DAYO ADEYANJU ON OCCASION OF WORKSHOP ON CELEBRATION OF 2012 WORLD MALARIA DAY HELD AT BABAFUNKE AJASIN HALL  ON WEDNESDAY 2^ND MAY 2012

          It gives me great pleasure and a sense of honour to address you all on this special occasion marking the year 2012 World Malaria Day.

        Malaria is one of the most challenging health issues in Africa.  It is a disease that has resulted in disabilities and death in children.  It is the commonest cause of out-patient visits in our hospitals and constitutes a major barrier to development.  It reduces productivity in Agriculture, inhibits tourism and reduces investment.  Hardly is there a Nigerian who has not been affected once.  It is responsible for about 33% of estimated deaths among children, 11% among pregnant women and accounts for 70% of disease burden reported at Public Health Facilities.  It accounts for economic loss of about 132 billion naira annually in the country.  Distinguished guests I have taken the pains to provide this brief statistics so that we can all visualize the horrific picture of the malaria scourge and the extent to which we are all involved.

        It is therefore, not surprising that the magnitude of the Malaria burden drew the attention of National and International Organizations.  The Abuja Declaration of the Africa Summit on Roll Back Malaria held in 25^th April, 2000 was signed by all the African Heads of States in attendance.  This meeting committed them to an intensive effort to halve the malaria mortality in Africa by the year 2010 through implementation of strategies and activities agreed upon at the summit.  To highlight the gravity of malaria situation in the continent, the leaders at the summit also took the decision that 25^th April of each year be commemorated as Africa Malaria Day now World Malaria Day with effect from the year 2008.

        In line with the aforementioned, this Administration has committed a huge sum of money in executing the Roll Back Malaria Programme in Ondo State. Recently in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health, the State Government distributed over one million Nets in the Southern and Northern Senatorial Districts. The distribution in the Central Senatorial District will take place in the next two months.  The “Abiye Safe-Mother-Hood project piloted in Ifedore Local Government is presently being extended to the remaining eighteen Local Governments Areas.  In this programme, all Malaria Control Interventions such as the distribution of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs), Artemisinin based Combination Therapy (ACT) and intermittent preventive treatment with Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamide (SP) are given FREE of charge to all pregnant women from the period of conception to delivery.

        Over 1000 Role Model Givers have been trained on home management of malaria within the Community, this is to ensure that malaria, especially in children and pregnant women does not become complicated before the patient gets to the health centres.

Civil Society Organizations across the 18 LGAs have also been sensitized on use of LLIN in the Community.  Logisticians have also been trained on malaria commodities inventories and logistics management system for proper storage of anti-malaria drugs.

        This Administration is totally committed to the provision of quality health services to the entire citizenry of Ondo State through its planned programmes.  The Abiye programme has been extended to the remaining 17 LGAs in the State, the Mother and Child hospital is fully functional in Akure while the one at Ondo will soon be commissioned and the ones in other Senatorial Districts are under Construction.  The Gani Fawehinmi Diagnostic Centre is also fully functional while the Trauma Centre also at Ondo Town will soon be commissioned.

        Today is another remarkable day set aside to further demonstrate our commitment to quality health care to the good people of our Sunshine State through the sensitization on World Malaria Day Celebration. 

        The Theme for this year’s World Malaria Day is Sustain Gains and Save Lives:  invest in Malaria”.   The effort of the state government enumirated above are investment in malaria which we beleive will sustain the gains and dividend of democracy and saves more lives.

Let me once again emphasised that the only guaranteed protection against malaria infection is the  Long Lasting Nets giving to us recently by the State, I enjoin everybody in possession of this Nets to sleep under them every night to  save lives and reduce mortality.  

        I wish to thank all our partners WHO, UNICEF, Society for family Health and TETA Pharmaceuticals for their assistance in our Malaria Control Programme.  I also wish everybody a successful 2012 World Malaria Day Celebration.

        Thank you and God bless.