Kebbi, Zamfara, Sokoto states top the chart of malaria prevalence in Nigeria, the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) has said.
The national coordinator of the NMEP, Dr Godwin Ntadom, stated this Tuesday in Abuja during a news briefing by the organization.
He said Lagos and Kwara states have the lowest malaria prevalence rate in the country.
The coordinator said Nigeria has also recorded a reduction in malaria cases and deaths.
He said that the malaria burden in Nigeria reduced from 27 percent in 2015 to 22 percent in 2021, adding that the percentage would likely reduce further in 2024 considering the efforts made towards reducing the burden.
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He said, “While working on the former strategy we have been using, we have deployed new strategies. We provide anti-malaria medicine, distribute treated insecticide treated mosquito nets and we have commenced seasonal malaria chemopreventive treatment especially in the north where malaria is prevalent and the mortality in the region has reduced as a result of the seasonal malaria intervention.”
He explained that in other parts of the country, the government had distributed nets and ensured that children and pregnant women get adequate treatment.
Dr Ntadom said about 608,000 people died of malaria worldwide in 2022, and that 30 percent of the number are Nigerians.
He said that Nigeria would roll out the use of malaria vaccine this year starting with Kebbi and Bayelsa states before extending it to other parts of the country.
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