By Rhoda Olorunfemi
Journalists have been urged to support the campaign to totally eradicate malaria by year 2020 in the country.
The call was made by the Director, Disease Control, Lagos state Ministry of Health, Dr. Eniola Erinosho, at the ‘Malaria to Zero’ campaign held in Lagos at which Huawei Technologies officially presented N50 million Cheque to Access bank plc to support campaign.
Erinosho who represented the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olajide Idris, said Lagos state as a public entity is glad to collaborate with public sector to run ‘malaria to zero’ campaign which shares similar motive with ‘eradicate malaria’ campaign of Lagos state.
Erinosho encouraged both the public and private sector to allow free flow of communication and understanding to ensure the ‘eradicate malaria’ and ‘malaria to zero’ campaigns yield positive result.
He enjoined journalists to sensitize citizens especially women and children through public enlightenment programmes to eradicate malaria in Nigeria.
“Social marketing in the place of advertising and the likes, and social franchising-to support government in Nigeria to manufacture local made drugs where both public and private sectors can subsidise drugs affordable and effective for the average Nigerians. Enough of the importation of drugs and impression that those drugs are meant for the rich people,” Erinosho said.
Chief, Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, Dr. Muntaga Umar-Sadiq, also called on journalists to assist in disseminating proper information in order to help engage hundreds of private companies in Nigeria about ongoing platform.
It is good to ensure private sector roundtable on malaria through innovation and technology to develop new ways of measuring impact on the campaign because, money is coming in, but it is rather appreciative to get the target structure issues-data and surveillance systems right.
Roosevelt Ogbonna, Executive Director(Ed), Access Bank Plc, who spoke on behalf of CEO/Managing Director, Access bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe, said the campaign aims at teaching 20 millions Nigeria how to live in a malaria free environment come year 2020.
“By 2020, 20 million Nigerians would have learnt to combat malaria. Life has a chance as any child born in Nigeria has that right to life just like children born in other countries in the world. Improving and winning war against malaria to zero in Nigeria and across Africa is our aim,’’ Ognonna said.
According to him, “it is advisable to help financiers invest in the most appropriate technical strategies suitable to local context. Private sectors is coming together to work with the government and accelerate the campaign –malaria control-elimination. And this can be achieved through private sector engagement platform.”
Mr. Ade Kehinde, Head, Enterprise sector, Huawei Technologies, who spoke on behalf of Mr. Chief Executive Officer(CEO), Huawei Technologies, Nigeria, Frank Li, said Nigeria has the highest malaria patients ranging from children to adults.
According to him, “Huawei as a company has employed about six hundred Nigerians as workers and the company is using this medium to say Zero to malaria in Nigeria that is why we are supporting Access bank in fighting against malaria.”
He also said, Huawei will be glad to donate more fund if need be as long as the money is been used to fund the ‘malaria to zero’ campaign.
