A veteran journalist, Chief Moji Makanjuola, has called on the Federal Government to pay attention to the havoc caused by malaria in the country, despite the concerted efforts to check the spread of Covid-19.
She made the call in a statement to mark the 2020 World Malaria Day, in Abuja.
Malaria, according to her, is a risk for 97% of Nigerian population, with an estimation of 100 million of malaria cases and over 300,000 deaths annually.
“Let us therefore keep Malaria in view as we combat Corona Virus and its deadly evil gifts-COVID-19,” she stressed.
Chief Makanjuola who is the
Executive Director, International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH), said: “It is World Malaria Day again, even as the world grapple with COVID-19.
“However, other diseases will neither go on recess nor vacation, so we still have both communicable diseases (CDs)and Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) to contend with.
“This is why we still have formidable malaria around even with the global emergency- this pandemic.
“More than ever before, every health worker and indeed all of us within the Malaria belt ,is at greater risk of being doubly jeopardized.”
The 2020 World Malaria Day is with the theme, ‘Zero Malaria starts with me’, which she said, “underscores our need to beat malaria, to avoid the additional dangers posed to those health and non health workers.
“The time to act to end malaria is now. Zero tolerance to Malaria should begin with each and everyone of us.
“COVID-19 rides on pre-existing conditions to advance global notoriety for higher delivery of deadly impact.”
She, therefore, advised Nigerians to support efforts to end Covid-19 by washing their hands.
“Let’s not touch our mouth, eyes and nose, let’s cough elegantly into our elbows, let’s keep our environment clean to stop breeding mosquitoes that cause malaria, let’s pace out socially by 2 metres,” she noted.
