By Asma’u Ahmad
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has flagged off a house-to-house malaria prevention programme with a pledge to administer free drugs to one million children in the state.
Governor Tambuwal said that government has resolved to renew its push against the dreaded disease through religious and traditional institutions to achieve set target.
Gov. Aminu Tambuwal
He said the state government, in collaboration with the Presidential Malaria Initiative (PMI) and other partners, would provide three million units of mosquito nets and Seasonal Malaria Chemotherapy (SMC) drugs to be distributed free in the state.
“We are spending N300 million for training of personnel, provision of logistics, vehicles, fumigation and sanitation to combat the causative factor of the disease.
“Already, the state government has redeemed all its pledges of counterpart funding to support supervision, social mobilisation and distribution of drugs to all benefiting health facilities across Sokoto state,” the governor said.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Malaria Elimination and Control, Mr Chika Umar, said government and partners would distribute SMC drugs free to children between three to 59 months in the 23 local government areas.
“The circle will last for four days at an interval of one month for three months. This push will be supported by 500 health facilities in the state,” he said.
Mr Umar disclosed that government planned to establish fully functional malaria elimination units in all the local government areas of the state.
The governor also distributed motorcycles to be used by roll back malaria officials posted to rural communities across the state for effective administration of the drugs and other preventive measures.
