Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Enugu State Government says it has scaled up free malaria testing and treatment in over 527 health facilities across the state.
Professor George Ugwu, the Commissioner for Health, disclosed this in Enugu during an interaction with newsmen.
He said that the facilities include both public and private health facilities in the state.
According to him, the facilities are located across the 17 local government areas of the state.
He noted that facilities offering free malaria testing and treatment include Primary Healthcare Centres, General and Cottage hospitals, as well as some selected private and public tertiary hospitals.
According to him, the state government wants to drastically reduce the prevalence and incidence of malaria among residents of the state.
“The ongoing statewide Enugu State Ministry of Health Malaria Elimination Project, which was envisioned and embarked upon by His Excellency, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, is meant to touch lives and strengthen the health of residents.
“The state government, with support from its health partners, has made available free malaria test consumables and drugs to many health facilities, including public and private hospitals in the state.
“Residents should avail themselves of this health gesture by visiting health facilities close to them and play their role in helping to eliminate malaria and its health and financial burden in the state,” he said.
The commissioner advised doctors and health workers to always carry out a malaria test before treatment, noting that “not all fever is malaria.”
“Carrying out a malaria test in the first place to be sure that what is being treated is malaria is very essential, since there are other forms of fever,” he said.
It would be recalled that the project has been running for over a year and is being scaled up by the state government.
The impactful project has reduced the prevalence of malaria in the state to 9.9 per cent, according to recent four-year gap malaria survey data.
