The Kogi government said it had taken delivery of a medical consignment worth N1 billion for malaria prevention in the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Zakari Usman, disclosed this at a news conference on Wednesday in Lokoja as part of activities to mark the 2023 World Malaria Day celebration.

According to Mr Usman, the consignment received recently from “Malaria Consortium”, its partner in the control of malaria, was to reduce the endemic disease to its barest minimum in Kogi.

He said 2023, the 16th year celebration of World Malaria Day, had its theme as “Delivering Zero Malaria: Invest, Innovate and Implement”.

The commissioner stressed that the present administration in the state had done its best to recruit medical doctors, nurses and other categories of health personnel.

“I am happy to inform you that in Kogi state, the malaria endemic has drastically dropped to 16 per cent, and we aim to have zero percentage by God’s grace.

“In 2020, over 241 clinical cases of malaria-endemic and 2,027 deaths were recorded from Sub-sahara Africa, which is caused by female Anopheles mosquitoes,” he said.

Earlier, the director of Public Health of the Ministry, Francis Akpa, described malaria as a killer disease if not treated immediately.

He appealed to citizens, especially the most vulnerable children and pregnant women in Sub-sahara Africa, to play their part to ensure a malaria-free Society.

(NAN)