Malaria kills 300,000 children annually in Nigeria

Nigerian Health experts said that malaria was responsible for 30 percent childhood deaths estimated at 300,000 every year in Nigeria, The Leadership newspaper reported. The experts, however, said that malaria was responsible for 25 percent infant deaths while it is responsible for 11 percent maternal deaths in the country. The Behaviour Change and Community Mobilization Officer of United Agency for International Development (USAID) Malaria Action Program for States (MAPS) in Ebonyi state Ifeoma Chris-Okafor disclosed this at the weekend in Abakaliki during a media round table. She said that malaria was a major cause of deaths and dislocations especially in mortality and morbidity, stressing that more than 90 percent of Nigeria s population stand at risk with 50 percent suffering from at least one episode of malaria each year. Chris-Okafor said that according to National Malaria Control Program malaria is the public health problem in Nigeria with nine out of 10 persons at risk while children under five years, pregnant women, visitors from malaria free region, HIV and Sickle cell anemia people were most vulnerable. The Behaviour Change Officer identified barriers to malaria prevention and control to include limited understanding of the benefits of malaria interventions, poor perception of the magnitude of the malaria burden as well as cultural norms and misconceptions associated with the use of malaria services. Other barriers according her were perceived discomfort of using malaria preventive products, traditional community alternatives and access issues as well as reservations about Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) usefulness or safety. On the prevention of Malaria Chris-Okafor recommended that every household should own and sleep inside the long lasting insecticidal nets every night, urging pregnant women to attend to antenatal health clinics where treatment of malaria in pregnancy would be ensured as well as environmental sanitation. She also said the treatment of malaria should be testing RDT\Microscopy and using the recommended Artemisinin based combination treatment within 24 hours of onset of fever\severe malaria at health facilities to ensure prompt, adequate and affordable treatment. The Behavour Change Officer however charged the media to join malaria fight as service to humanity, to help increase motivation to prevent and treat malaria burden in the society, adding that the media should create awareness and promote prompt and appropriate treatment with artemisinin based combination therapies. Others who delivered lectures on malaria prevention and control include the state coordinator of Roll Back Malaria Lawrence Nwankwo and Chinyere Nwani of the state ministry of health Malaria Diagnosis case Management.