Malaria Control: Stakeholders Call For Improved Environmental Hygiene In Ebonyi

Healthcare experts and stakeholders in Ebonyi have called for improved environmental hygiene as part of the ongoing efforts to ensure that no death is recorded in pregnant women and children under five in the years ahead due to malaria.

Stakeholders while speaking in Abakaliki last Wednesday during State Advocacy Communication and social mobilization core group meeting, opinioned that government should integrate with partners and other stakeholders to educate the rural dwellers on environmental hygiene.

Mrs. Otozi Rita, malaria focal person in Ohaukwu local Government noted that as mosquito nets are shared for use, community sensitization on health education should also be considered.

“As we are using this longlasting insecticide net, for preventing mosquito bites because it is through mosquito bites that one can have malaria, we need sensitization to the communities, more health education concerning environmental hygiene and also personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness.

“Another thing is involving the stakeholders like in Ohaukwu, Tiptop involved all the Stakeholders both in the community and in the house hold to create awareness on taking community intermittent preventive treatment to prevent malaria in pregnancy. I believe if Government integrated themselves, with the NGOs which is the partners in the state if they integrate and work together I believe Ebonyi will be safe from malaria.

On his part, the traditional ruler of Okposi Community in Ezza north, Eze Anthony Njoku, noted that the Issue of malaria is very important which involves everyone. And one common thing was that people have been patronizing patient medicine dealers in malaria prevention which is wrong.

He stated that it takes time to educate the rural dwellers to visit primary health care centers for testing when they feel they have malaria.

Eze Njoku, said he has joined the campaign on use of mosquito net. “On the use of mosquito net, I gave them sensitization, and I made it composer that every house hold must sleep under mosquito net which they collected. There are group the move round the community to re-sensitize them.

He advised other traditional institution to join the campaign. “My advice to other traditional rulers is that when you asked your people to sleep under mosquito net, and you go round to supervise if they are using the net, you are helping the community.

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