Nigeria loses about N132 billion annually to managing malaria illnesses among its population leading to depletion of labour force through the diseases caused by specie of mosquitoes.
Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad Pate, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, at the unveiling of the Malaria Action Programme for States, MAPS-Nigeria aimed at reducing the incident of malaria attack in the country.
Pate, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Dr. Labaran Shinkafi, noted that associated loss includes huge man hour loss adding that the diseases acquired from bite of mosquito specie have been devastating to the human and economy of the Nigeria and the continent.
He said: “The impact of malaria is enormous as Nigeria losses N132billion to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria this is apart from the loss of man hour by the nation’s labour force.
“One African child dies from malaria, and malaria related illness. This costs Africa’s economy $12billion per year. In Nigeria, over 90 per cent of our populations are at risk and malaria is still the leading cause of death in Nigeria, contributing to 30 per cent of childhood mortality and 11 per cent of maternal mortality.”
Also, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terrence McCulley, had said the Obama administration was committed to partnering with African countries to build capacity in stamping out malaria.
The MAPs project, which spans five years beginning from 2010 to 2015 has an $82 million commitment form multinational collaboration led by the United States Agency for International Development (USIAD) is aimed at curbing proliferation of malaria in the country.
The programme is running is six states namely Ebonyi, Zamfara, Benue, Nasarawa Oyo and Rivers with the promise that the seventh state would soon be added.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/-nigeria-loses-n132bn-annually-to-malaria-scourge-/104474/
