As the world marks the 2020 World Malaria Day, Mrs. MojiMakanjuola, Executive Director, International
Society of Media on Public Health (ISMPH), has called for a check onmalaria disease while Combating COVID-19 Pandemic.In her address, Moji said Malaria poses risk to 97% of theNigerian Population, with an estimation of 100 million of malaria cases andover 300,000 deaths annually.
“Let us therefore keep Malaria in view as we combatCoronavirus and its deadly evil gifts-COVID-19”, she said.
Moji who reiterated the call for frequent hands washing andother measures put in place by the authorities to curb the spread of COVID-19,added that, “let’s not touch our Mouth, Eyes and Nose, let’s coughelegantly into our Elbows”.
She also called on people to keep their environment clean tostop breeding mosquitoes that causes malaria as well as adhere to the socialdistancing measures.
The Executive Director who advocated for zero tolerance toMalaria noted that, “it is World Malaria Day again, even as the worldgrappled with COVID-19”.
“COVID-19 has taken a centre stage, with the world’sfull attention on it. However, other diseases will neither go on recess norvacation. “So we still have both communicable diseases (CDs)and non communicablediseases (NCDs) to contend with”, she added.
Moji who said Nigeria still have formidable malaria aroundeven with the global emergency, COVID-19 pandemic maintained that, “everyhealth worker and indeed all of us within the Malaria belt is at greater riskof being doubly jeopardized”.
Speaking on this year’s theme, ‘Zero Malaria starts withme’, Moji said “this underscores our need to beat malaria, to avoid theadditional dangers posed to those health and non health workers”.
“The time to act to end malaria is now. “Zero toleranceto Malaria should begin with each and every one of us”, she advocated.
According to her, COVID-19 rides on pre-existing conditionsto advance global notoriety for higher delivery of deadly impact.
