Nigeria: Minister Links Environmental Management to Malaria Control

Ruby Leo

19 July 2011

The Minister of Health has identified environmental management as one of the strategies for malaria control in Nigeria as mosquitoes which cause malaria breed in the environment

The minister, speaking during a working visit to the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), said environmental management should be included in the Integrated Malaria Control Programme and urged the National Coordinator of NMCP, Dr. Babajide Coker, to engage state and local governments to give it the necessary impetus to make the distribution of long lasting insecticide nets a success.

Prof. Chukwu urged the staff of NMCP to brace up to the challenges of nation building in line with the transformation agenda of Mr. President and also work hard to deliver efficient healthcare services to Nigerians and correct public perception about the ministry.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Linus Awute said that the purpose of the visit was for the top management of the ministry to interface with them to lend impetus to and encourage them on what they had been doing in the area of malaria eradication.

Mr. Awute who assured staff of government’s commitment to their welfare, urged them to reciprocate government’s gesture by working hard in order to deliver efficient healthcare services to the citizenry.

Earlier, the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Control Programme said in his presentation that so far they had been able to distribute about 38 million insecticide treated nets in 25 states of the federation, adding that 4 million nets would be distributed in Lagos very soon.

He said that NMCP was doing much in the area of advocacy to raise awareness, adding that they had deployed a lot of messages into the field on malaria control.

The Ministry of Health official also visited the National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Control Programme (NASCAP) and National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBL) offices to encourage the staff and express commitment to practical approach to diseases eradication in the country.

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