Rivers partners doctors on malaria elimination

THE Rivers State government has moved to partner with medical doctors in the state to ensure the total elimination of malaria in the state.The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker while briefing journalists after an indoor meeting with the medical doctors in Government House Port Harcourt, said despite the success of biolavicide spraying scheme handled by Ladiofam, a Cuban firm, in checking the menace of malaria, the government would involve doctorstoensure optimal elimination of malaria.Parker disclosed that the state government is also extending the exercise to all the local councils of the state.In a different development, the state government, has promised to pay N25,000 to each pregnant woman who patronises any of the state government-owned health facilities.The gesture, according to the Director, Public Health in the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Akuro Okujagu, was aimed to attractpatronage of the state health facilities, and also to check the trend of maternal mortality in the state.The Commissioner while disclosing that various health centres would be used as anti-malaria centres, added that the state would set up four secondary health centres as well as a Mother and Child Hospital to reduce mother and infant mortality rate in the state.Parker said, 'We in Rivers are not talking about malaria control, we are talking about malaria elimination. And so far we have done much more than the National Malaria Elimination Programme''.Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Rivers State Chapter, Dr. Bonaventure Harry said, though it is too early to score the state biolavicide spraying scheme. The state government has shown zeal in checking the malaise.The NMA chairman insisted that the fight against malaria is multi-sectoral and should cover areas of environment, infrastructure, sanitation and hygiene and therefore called on the government to continue in its quest to curb the menace.Okujagu, explained that the N25,000 would be paid to only pregnant women who accessed the medical servicesin the public heath facilities from antenatal care through delivery to postnatal.While alleging that huge patronage of traditional birth attendants was responsible for maternal mortality in the state, the director added that the move was geared to discourage traditional patronage.His words, 'most women who access ante natal carein the government hospital do not deliver there and only present themselves to the hospital when there are complications.'Desk officer, Safe Motherhood, Mrs. Amachree Mikiai said out of 237,114 which is 80 per cent of their target, pregnant women estimated to register for ANC services last year, only 120,990, which is 62.8 per cent did.
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