The Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ivara Esu, says the administration of Senator Ben Ayade is committed to supporting all necessary measures and partners in ensuring that Malaria was eliminated in the State.
Professor Esu made the assertion while performing the State Official flag-off of 2019 Mass Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets Distribution Campaign at Ikot Nakanda, Akpabuyo Local Government Area.
The Deputy Governor said, the fact that malaria was a killer disease second to HIV/AIDS and its proven co-relationship with a wide range of other diseases, callsed for global efforts for its elimination.
He called on all members of the public and security agencies to maximally participate in this exercise to ensure that it was peacefully conducted and household members to endeavour to redeem their nets soon and imbibe the culture of sleeping inside the net.
Professor Esu maintained that the State House of Assembly will soon pass a law against the misuse of mosquito nets for gardening, fishing and other unwholesome practices in the communities.
The Deputy Governor thanked the President Malaria Initiative (PMI) USAID, the Federal Government of Nigeria through National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) for the donation of over 2.5 million Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets in the State.
The wife of the State Governor, Dr. Linda Ayade, represented by the
former Commissioner for Health, Dr. Inyang Asibong, expressed her
strong passion for Child and Maternal Health adding that she would
spare no efforts in ensuring that, women and children receive the best
of care in the State through her pet project “The Mediatrix
Foundation.”
She pointed out that, more than 90% of all Cross Riverians are at risk
of Malaria and almost everyone suffers at least a bout of it every
year.
Dr. Linda Ayade therefore informed the women, especially the pregnant
women that regular use of the LLINs is a sure way to reducing Malaria
deaths by 20 percent and Malaria incidence by 50 percent in children
less than five years of age in the State.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health Dr Joseph Bassey stated
that, about 2.4 million Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets worth more than
2.3 Billion Naira has been shipped into the State for this year’s
exercise.
Dr. Bassey maintained that, in Nigeria, 92 percent of the population
are at risk, contributing to an estimated 11 percent of Maternal
Mortality and 30 percent under 5 mortality as well as 60 percent of
outpatient visit in our health facilities.
On her part the Head of Local Government Administration, Akpabuyo
Local Government Council, Mrs Theresa Ezima noted that, malaria is the
commonest sickness in Africa and it is fast in taking lives.
Mrs. Ezima emphasized that, all hands must be on deck to create
effective awareness among the people in an effort to secure lives
which is one of the cardinal responsibilities of Government.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar