As Nigeria joins the rest of the world in marking World Malaria Day, a leading pharmaceutical company, St. Racheal’s Pharma has called on the incoming administration of Bola Tinubu to establish a free malaria management programme under the proposed fuel subsidy palliative project.
The company suggested that the initiative would be the least but most urgent step the government could take to address the enormous burden of malaria in the country.
Malaria is the most prevalent disease in Nigeria, and according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the country had the highest number (27 per cent) of global malaria cases and the highest number of deaths (32 per cent) of global malaria deaths in 2021. Nigeria is also reported to account for 55.2 per cent of malaria cases in West Africa.
However, the nation’s response so far has not shown significant progress or the required political will to achieve a malaria-free Nigeria.
St. Racheal’s Pharma, which produces, distributes, markets and sells St. Racheal’s brands of antibiotics, including St. Racheal’s Artemether 80mg+Lumefantrine 480mg tablets 1×6 for the treatment of malaria, cited the proposed fuel subsidy palliative programme as a window of opportunity for the new government to address the issue.
The company suggested that while it supports cash distribution to indigent Nigerians, a free programme that would offer free malaria management to everyone in all parts of the country would not only impact positively on people’s health but also drastically reduce the unnecessary deaths recorded every year from the disease, thereby improving life expectancy in Nigeria.
In a press statement, the chairman of the company, Akinjide Adeosun urged the new government to adopt a more radical approach by instituting and implementing a compulsory free malaria management initiative to achieve the nation’s strategic plan. The company further called on children and adults to remain alert and take their health seriously, especially in the prevention and management of malaria.
As a corporate entity with a mandate to promote good health in Nigeria and the African continent through information, education, manufacture, distribution, marketing and supply of quality pharmaceutical brands, St. Racheal’s Pharma is in resonance with the call by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on countries to build more resilient programmes to address the menace of malaria.
The theme for this year’s World Malaria Day, “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement,” cannot be ignored, considering Nigeria’s enormous burden of the disease.
In conclusion, the urgent need to address the malaria problem in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized, and St. Racheal’s Pharma’s call for a free malaria management programme is a step in the right direction.
The incoming administration led by president-elect Bola Tinubu should prioritise this initiative under the proposed fuel subsidy palliative project to reduce the number of deaths caused by malaria and improve life expectancy in Nigeria. (NAN)
