The Assistant Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Dr. Alhaji S. Turay, has disclosed that Port Loko District has the highest prevalence of malaria in Sierra Leone, and Western Area Urban has the lowest with 6%.
He made this disclosure on October 21, 2020 during the Zero Malaria Parliamentary Engagement Forum organized by Speak Up Africa at the Committee Room No. 1 of the House of Parliament in Freetown.
Dr. Turay furthered that Malaria in Sierra Leone as a whole stands at 40 percent, with the Northern Region having a relatively higher prevalence to other regions due to low use of insecticide-treated bed nets.
He added that breeding grounds for mosquitos have reduced in the Western Area.
“We know what malaria is doing to the economics of the country. Malaria is endemic; it is everywhere in the country. On a daily basis people get sick. We as health workers know that Malaria is the biggest killer disease in the country,” he affirmed.
According to Dr. Turay, the mobility for all ages is 38 percent and malaria accounts for 37.8 percent in all hospitals. Mobility for Under-Five children is 38.3 percent, adding that the disease is killing many kids.
“The number of deaths is gradually reducing but … we are still not satisfied. Yearly we have 1.7 million cases of Malaria and 1.95 Thousand deaths,” he asserted.
He commended the Government of Sierra Leone and its partners for distributing insecticide treated bed nets and conducting medical tests without cost on patient and treatment of Malaria.
Chairman Parliamentary Health Committee, Hon. Moses Baimba Jorkie in his welcome address describes Malaria is a great burden which puts everybody at risk.
“In making sure that by 2030 Sierra Leone get rid of malaria, it is incumbent for all honorable members to go to their constituencies in order to add their voice to the campaign as Malaria is one of the deadliest diseases in Africa,” he maintained.
Speak Up Africa, Malaria Program Officer, James Wallen said Zero Malaria Starts with the ‘Me Campaign’, a pan African Movement which aims at building energy and commitment from all the necessary sectors in society to eliminate Malaria by 2030.
He added the campaign was launched by RBM partnership to end Malaria and the Africa Union at the 54th African Union Summit in July 2018 and was endorsed by all 55 Heads of State of the AU.
23/10/2020. ISSUE NO: 7937