The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, has urged Nigerians to stop using chloroquine, or Artemisinin as a monotherapy in treatment of malaria, as he listed steps that Nigerians need to take to combat the killer disease in the country.
 
Mr. Adewole, a professor of Medicine who was speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at an event to mark the 2017 World Malaria Day, also advised pregnant women during antenatal visits to always ask for Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) doses for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTP), to save mother and child.
 
The minister said every Nigerians has a role to play in the elimination of malaria in the country and as such should ensure that they live in a clean environment and drain stagnant water.
 
He stressed that patients must also challenge healthcare providers on drugs administered at hospitals and always ask for diagnosis before treatment.
 
“There is a need for every Nigerian and health partners to support the Federal Ministry of Health in its bid to eliminating malaria from the country”, he added.
 
The World Health Organization has set aside April 25 every year as World Malaria Day to sensitise the populace and assess government efforts at stemming the scourge of malaria and mobilise efforts against the disease.
 
The theme for this year celebration is “End Malaria for Good”, with an accompanying slogan “What is Your Role”.
 
The minister said the theme underscores the call to action for concrete steps to be taken individually and collectively towards ending malaria scourge in order to safeguard the physical, economic and social existence of Nigerians.
 
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