Edo State Government yesterday marked this years World Malaria Day with the distribution of free anti-malaria treated nets and drugs to nursing mothers, pregnant women and children.The state government appealed to the beneficiaries to guard against the scourge of malaria disease through the cleanliness of their surroundings and environment.Meanwhile, the abducted Dr. Paul Oriaifo has regained freedom.The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Victor Enoghama, while speaking on behalf of the state government at the event to mark the Worlds Malaria Day, noted that malaria accounts for about 66 per cent of all clinical attendance in Nigeria with over 110 million clinically-diagnosed cases every year out of which about 300, 000 children die.The effect of the scourge, he said, also leads to absenteeism in work places and schools, resulting in poverty among the people as resources meant for upkeep of the family and education of children are channeled towards the purchase of drugs for treatment of recurrentattacks.He urged citizens of the state to promptly report cases of fever within 24 hours to the nearest healthcare facility.In his speech, the Assistant Director of the state primary healthcare delivery system, Dr. Abbey Eghe, who represented Dr. Peter Ugbodaga, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, said the event was packaged as an awareness campaign and sensitisation efforts of government and stakeholders on the dangers of malaria disease.He said the state government had made positive contributions in the drive to stem the tide through several programmes and distribution of free malaria drugs and treated nets.A statement jointly signed by the state Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Philip Ugbodaga, Secretary of the association, Dr. Emmanuel Ighodaro and its Spokesman, Kennedy Alohan, commended the untiring efforts of security agencies in the state, especially operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) in riding Edo of miscreants and criminals, especially kidnappers.The NMA said: In this regard, we wish to salute the gallantry displayed by the security service in rescuing our member, Dr. Paul Oriaifo and apprehending one of his abductors without the payment of any ransom. We use this opportunity to restate the demand of the Nigerian Medical Association for the Edo State government to immediately convoke a stakeholders conference on insecurity with a view to affording the people, professional groups and other stakeholders the opportunity to contribute ideas and strategise on the best modalities to curb the problem of kidnapping and other crimes in the state. We also demand prompt prosecution of all previously arrested kidnappers as justice delayed is justice denied.
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