The Society for Family Health (SFH) is to collaborate with the Kano State Government to distribute 10m long lasting treated mosquito nets in the state as part of efforts to fight the scourge of malaria.
This emerged during a courtesy visit to the Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje as part of the SFH Leadership Retreat and Strategic Plan Roll Out held in Kano.
A trustee of SFH and founder of Safe Medicines Foundation, Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai said beyond distributing the treated nets, SFH and Kano State Government agreed to work together in fighting mosquitoes using vector control methods.
Yakasai, the immediate past President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), noted that malaria has the greatest impact on human health from vectors.
He said, “In Africa, a child dies every minute of malaria; this is a reduction of more than 50% since 2000 due to vector control. In as much as possible, both prevention through vector control and treatment are needed to protect populations”.
According to him, “If Uzbekistan, Iraq, Argentina, Costa Rica, Oman, Turkey, Georgia, Syria and Sri Lanka can eliminate Malaria, then Nigeria can.
“But for us to eliminate malaria it cannot be business as usual. It will require a committed and concerted efforts by all stakeholders,” he added.