Towards sustaining its fight against malaria in the country especially in areas that are more prone to the disease,the federal government has disclosed that it is set to partner with the Rivers State government to build a multi-million dollar bio-larvicide factory in Port Harcourt.Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu disclosed this in Abuja when he received the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Samson Parker who led other medical experts from Cuba to make presentations on the benefit of adopting bio-larvicide in the control of malaria in the country. While speaking, he re-emphasized the federal government's commitment to the elimination of malaria scourge, especially among women and children adding that collaboration from stakeholders like the Rivers State government was always welcomed.He also revealed that government would explore other financing options through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to get the project executed, but noted that states government should also intensify their approach in the control of malaria through funding since it constitutes a national scourge.Bio-larvicide technology which Rivers State is already adopting in the control of malaria involves the use of biological chemicals that have been certified ozone friendly to check the excessive production of mosquito larva or eggs which is a major causative factor for malaria.The Minister said: 'Government has never waned in its resolve to fight this malaria scourge which is known to have been killing our people but what it demands is mutual participation from all stakeholders.Rivers State government has Federal Government's support to embark on this project because it is one state that has been complimenting our effort in this regard and that is why we invited them to tell us their experience and how other states can also cue-in into the fight against malaria.'Dr. Parker in his response said part of the reasons why they came to the Federal Ministry of Health to make the presentations was to dismiss some skepticism about the workability of a malaria free society as well as to shore up political will on the part of government.He said since health was on the concurrent list of government, they felt it was appropriate to share their experiences in the use of bio-larvicide, especially how it has worked for the people living in the riverine communities, the Niger-Delta states in particular. 'As you know, we already have a national malaria control programme and health is on the concurrent list which stipulates that every state government should take care of the health of its people while the Federal Government regulate and monitor the entire health programme in the country. 'We are here so that the nation as a whole can buy into this programme or take it up as a national programme, when I was making my presentation; I said we have declared war against mosquitoes because it has been killing more persons than all the wars, the civil wars put together. 'The concept of bio-larvicide as the name implies, is the use of biological materials to fight the larva of mosquitoes, I mean the egg of mosquitoes so that they do not develop to form mosquitoes and if we stop that, mosquitoes will not be reproduced and the population of mosquitoes will varnish, that is what bio-larvcide is all about.
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