Cases of  malaria have re
duced  significantly in Osun State due to the environmental initiatives launched by the Rauf Aregbesola administration.
The state Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Prof. Olubukola Oyawoye, disclosed this last Thursday in Ibadan while delivering the monthly guest lecture of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ in Oyo State.
Her lecture was entitled: “Clean and Sustainable Environment: Panacea for Outbreak of Epidemics:  The  Osun State Experience.’’
The commissioner said the less than 200,000  cases of malaria now being  recorded annually  in the state was an improvement over the 750,000 and 500,000 recorded in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
“Osun now records  fewer cases of malaria occurrences due to  the administration’s approach of  putting in place  an  effective  drainage system and reduction of stagnant water,” she said.
Oyawoye, who admitted that  flooding had created a huge challenge to  the  Aregbesola administration   at inception, said measures  had been put in place to check the menace.
“ As a result of   the cleanliness advocacy of  Governor Aregbesola,  flood became a thing of the past and cholera has disappeared.
“ The war against indiscriminate dumping of waste  is also  sustaining our success story,’’ she said.
Oyawoye, who  said  a clean environment remained the  panacea for outbreak of epidemics, pointed out that an awareness campaign was initiated  to educate residents.
“ It is possible  to provide a healthy and epidemic-free environment through educating members of the public. “We are working assiduously to make the state a reference point in the world. Indeed, the state has become a centre of excellence  to behold  among the comity of states.
“All these have  been achieved  through the support of Gov. Rauf Aregbesola who believes  strongly in a healthy environment,” she said.