UN agency, stakeholders develop strategy to eliminate Malaria

UNITAID, a United Nations initiative to fight HIV\AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and stakeholders in the health sector have developed plan to eradicate malaria in Cross River State.

According to Dr. Oluseye Babatunde of World Health Organisation (WHO) South-South Zone, part of the action plan include massive education of the public on use of the Long Lasting Insecticide Net (LLIN), environmental sanitation, use of protective devices, massive deployment of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (MRDT), training and retraining of all health workers among others.

Babatunde called on stakeholders in the health sector to adhere to the action plan to eliminate malaria in the state.

The Director General of Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Betta Edu, who declared the meeting open, disclosed that the objective of the meeting was to share project achievements, challenges and inform on options for the expansion of MRDT usedß for fever cases management among private health providers.

He added that the platform also aims at building consensus on a plan of action for consolidating action on how to move forward in the respective states with the UNITAID support programme.