From Sadiq Abubakar
Maiduguri
The Borno State Coordinator of WHO Malaria Elimination Programme , Alhaji Mala Waziri has disclosed that the second circle of the Seasonal Malaria Intervention Programme has kick started in Borno State from 7th-15th August 2020 with a target of 2 million children from three months to 59 months.
Waziri who flagged off the second circle of phase of the 2020 World Health Organization (WHO) Seasonal Malaria Chemopreventuon (SMC) Ccmpaign in the state Wednesday said,” the seasonal malaria Elimination Programme will be conducted in four stages through out the year as an intervention exercise to reduce the effect and spread of malaria especially among children of three months to months.”
Waziri who is also the State Deputy Director, Public Health , Borno State Ministry of Health stated this during the flagging off of the second circle or phase of the Seasonal Malaria Elimination Programme held at El Miskin IDPs Camp Madinatul in old Maiduguri.
He added that the malaria Intervention will be observed to over 20,000 IDPs at the camp and expected to be conducted simultaneously in all the 27 LGAs of the state targeting two million children as it was in the first circle or phase where over two million children from three months to 59 months were provided with the drugs.
According to him, the programme across the state will be in four different period within a year especially during the raining season which is always the peak period for mosquitoes breeding due to flooding, blocked drainages, uncleaned environment, indiscrimate dumping of refuse on the streets, gutters and ponds among others
While flagging off the exercise, he appealed to parents and guardians to avail their children with the opportunity to be administered with the anti-malaria drugs.
Waziri further commended WHO and their partners for implementing the healthcare policy and carrying out the campaign across the state which he said, would help in reducing and preventing effects of malaria among children in the society.
The State Coordinator said one of the reasons WHO was kick starting the second circle with the IDPs children at the El Miskin IDPs Camp was , “because they are the most vulnerable “.
Waziri however assured that WHO will reach out also to the children of the host communities who are also vulnerable while calling on parents/guardians to avail their children to be benefit from the SMC.
He also dispelled the rumour making the round that the drugs has side effects on the Children and has some oarentsnwer rejecting the SMC.
The State Deputy Director called on the public to disregard such rumour and urged the public to also confirm by consulting their medical doctors for more clarification on the SMC while noting that ,rather the children that get the drugs will be in better health condition.
The Borno- WHO State Coordinator, Mala Waziri who led the WHO Malaria Team to the El Miskin IDPs Camp said, “The reason we are at the IDPs Camp is to kick start the second circle of the SMC Campaign by administering the anti-malaria drugs in a symboluc manner to the IDPs children from three months to 59 months to prevent malaria infection among the age group as we are in the peak of malaria season, the raining season and flooding period.”
“This will reduce significantly morbidity and mortality among children,” Waziri said.
He also called on the public to always keep their sorroundings clean and live in a better healthy environment , stressing that, “as mosquitoes causes malaria and mosquitoes are breed from uncleaned environment, flooding, blocked drainages, refuse dumps and wastes from abatiors dirty environment or compound, offices, slums, toilets, soakaways, etc “.
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