Executive Director, Westfield Development Initiative (WDI), Mrs Omobola 'Lana, has reemphasize the need to collectively end malaria in Nigeria.
She used the platform to urge the Lagos State government to organize programmes to combat the rise of malaria in the state.
Speaking during the commemoration of April 29 World Malaria Day (WMD), she said: "Malaria still kills and we're ready to end it! It could be a baby step, but we are not taunted by its high prevalence."
Hosting the event with a medical outreach programme at Aboru community in Alimosho local government area, the non-profit organization (NGO) reiterated to Reporting Malaria Media the effort would attend to
one thousand people in the community with each person getting a malaria insecticide mosquito net.
She noted that the outreach commenced in 2014 and had been taking place for the past six years in different communities within Alimosho LGA
Mrs 'Lana also intimated that with the 2019 theme: "Zero Malaria Starts With Me"; her NGO had set to provide some basic health services as well as long lasting insecticide treated nets which is the most effective means of protecting oneself from malaria and other mosquito related diseases.
She adds: "To choose a community, we look at the population, residents' readiness and the rate of malaria prevalence in the area. Then, we set out. Still, however, we also have plans to take it to other local government areas in the state."
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Oseni Babatunde, while thanking the NGO for its humanity and willingness to end malaria in Nigeria; said malaria is the most common disease that kills people and which he himself doesn't take seriously. But with the little enlightenment he got from the workers that attended to him, he said he will henceforth be conscious of his environment by making sure it is clean to get rid of mosquitoes.
Also, Mrs Iyabode Titlayo, a pregnant mother of two, said with the long lasting insecticide treated nets she got from the outreach, she can now sleep with her two eyes closed because it will help her get rid of the night buzzers that threaten her family from sleeping
Programme Coordinator, WDI, Oyin Faniyi, speaking on one of the NGO projects titled: 'Model Family Initiative for Malaria Control'; discloses that it achieved 97 percent reduction in malaria prevalence in 460 families they had worked with in Akowonjo/Gowon Estate areas of Alimosho LGA.
Faniyi noted that they started with 80 families, they are giving selected homes mosquito nets, insecticide sprays and dustbins.
"However, all the 460 families are being checked upon periodically by the community health workers to see how clean their environments are and how often they use their mosquito repellent materials among others.
World Malaria Day is a yearly event held globally to express humane concerns for the malaria malady. Its essence is also to initiate creative ways towards achieving a final end to its menace.
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