Yobe government has paid a counterpart fund of N100 million for the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) for 2020-2021.

According to the press secretary Hussaini Mai-Sule, the state’s deputy governor, Idi Gubana, made the disclosure when the national co-ordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Tim Obot, paid him a courtesy visit.

The deputy governor noted that malaria was one of the deadly diseases that the state is struggling to contain in its drive to safeguard the lives of children who are under five years old.

“An Intermittent Prevention Treatment (IPT) is being implemented to ensure that pregnant women and their unborn children are adequately protected against malaria.

“We are also working towards creating a synergy between relevant ministries, departments and agencies for the adoption and enforcement of environmental laws that can assist in malaria prevention,” Mr Gubana said.

He commended the NMEP and its partners for their various interventions against malaria, including the mass distribution of over 3.6 million treated mosquito nets in the state since 2019.

Mr Obot announced, who was represented by Isichei Lucas, said that Yobe was one of the states to benefit from the new Global Funds Grant 2021-2023 for the eradication of malaria.