Malaria-induced deaths among children have reduced in Kaduna, says commissioner

The Kaduna government says deaths related to malaria among children under the age of five have reduced by two percent in the state.

Speaking on Tuesday at a conference to mark the 2023 World Malaria Day, Amina Mohammed-Baloni, commissioner for health in the state, said the rate of people testing positive for malaria has also reduced from 33 to 16 percent in the last two years.

Mohammed-Baloni, represented by Adamu Mansir, permanent secretary at the ministry of health, said all anti-malaria products in the state have also achieved 68 percent refill rate orders.

She said the government acquired anti-malaria products worth N300 million as part of efforts to combat the disease through the state malaria elimination programme.

“We have achieved 68 percent refill rate order for all antimalarial commodities (DHIS), and a reduction of malaria test positivity rate from 33 percent (NDHS 2018) to 16 percent in 2021 (MIS 2021),” NAN quoted Mohammed-Baloni as saying.

“We have also completed the distribution and monitoring of 269,040 ACTs, 260,000 RDTs, 3,333 artesunate injection, and 19,450 ITNs across 1,064 public health facilities, including 29 secondary and tertiary hospitals in the state.

“Also 72.2 percent of clients who tested positive (RDT or Microscopy) to the parasite received treatment with ACTs in the first quarter of 2022.”

She said the government has leveraged partnerships with relevant organisations to achieve adequate delivery of malaria services in the state

“The ministry of works has completed the massive clearance of drains in our communities; this is to reduce breeding of mosquitoes,” she added.

“We have, in line with the universal ward health system, constructed 255 primary healthcare centres (PHCs), with one centre per ward, across the 23 local government areas of the state.

“The fight against malaria in the state and country at large is a collective effort. The recent breakthrough in malaria vaccines will complement our existing preventive measures and should be widely accepted by caregivers.”

She urged residents and traditional rulers to maintain environmental hygiene, adding that “it is the primary prevention measure to control the malaria scourge”.