Mohammed Pate, Health Minister
Mali biologist urges Nigerian govt to step up efforts in malaria eradication
Ousmane Kiota, a cell and molecular biologist at the University of Bamako, Mali, has called on the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to eradicate malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He made the plea during a public lecture commemorating the 90th birthday of Prof. Sylvanus Cookey, a former vice-chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt.
Kiota stressed the importance of strong political commitment and collaboration among regional governments to combat the scourge of malaria.
He emphasized the need for Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan countries to prioritize malaria elimination and address the challenges ahead.
“We must prioritize malaria elimination and address the challenges ahead to make Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan countries malaria-free,” Kiota stated.
He highlighted the evolving nature of the malaria parasite and called for collective action at the continental level to rid Africa of malaria.
Kiota advocated for increased funding for malaria elimination programs and the implementation of more effective action plans for malaria research policies in the subregion.
He proposed easy access to malaria testing kits for self-checking instead of relying solely on health centres.
“We should have a political engagement to provide resources to scientists and medication to communities for malaria elimination,” Kiota stated.
According to him, malaria is an African problem requiring African solutions, and he called on governments to allocate resources accordingly.
Kiota underscored the importance of commitment in tackling malaria, considering the parasite’s ability to evolve and evade detection by some vaccines.
He also urged sustained efforts and collaboration to ensure the success of malaria eradication initiatives in Nigeria and across Africa.
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, recently stated that the Bola Tinubu administration’s top priority in the health sector is boosting domestic health financing, industrialization, and better health results.
Shettima made the statement during a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa from a group from the Global Health Partners, which includes the Global Fund, the US President’s Malaria Initiative, and the US President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief.
The Vice President pledged the president’s political backing to “improve health outcomes for all Nigerians, increase domestic financing for health, and promote health industrialization.”