By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A Consultant Public Health Physician at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr Adeyinka Adeniran, has said government must intensify efforts towards malaria prevention in the state.
He said some of the steps that must be taken include developing genetically modified mosquitoes that can counter the effect of the prevalent ones; developing malaria vaccines; ensuring that prophylaxis is available for pregnant women and children; supporting the manufacturing industries to produce insecticide wall paints for houses and insecticide mosquito nets.
Dr Adeniran, in an interview held in his office at LASUTH, Ikeja, over the weekend, noted that these measures can be used to win the war on malaria.
He said at the moment, the fight against the disease was still far from being won, but stressed that if these procedures are out in place by the government, the fight would be very effective.
The Consultant, who spoke in commemoration of the Year 2020 Malaria Day, themed Zero Malaria Starts with Me, implored individuals to take responsibility for themselves by taking extra precautions and improving on their environmental hygiene, stressing that residents should ensure they clear the bushes, clean the drainage systems and use insecticides as often as necessary in their various households.
He, however, emphasised the importance of people going to the hospital when they feel sick rather than indulge in self-medication.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO), in an online article, noted that although malaria cases reduced globally some years ago, the last few years seem to have experienced a regression as the number of people who died due to malaria in 2014 was almost equivalent to those who died in 2018.
The international body, therefore, suggests “boosting investments in the development and deployment of a new generation of malaria tools” as key to achieving the 2030 global malaria targets.
