The Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON) and Pest Control Association of Nigeria (PECAN) have agreed to collaborate in tackling the scourge of Malaria in the country.
The organisations made the commitment on Saturday, August 20, 2022, in Abuja during the commemoration of the 2022 World Malaria Day.
They said collaboration was key to raising awareness on Malaria and the need to maintain clean and healthy environment to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.
Dr Baba Yakubu, EHORECON Registrar, said remained a major disease of mankind and the environmental health workers would support the ongoing campaign to eliminate it.
Yakubu said they would work with other stakeholders to eliminate the malaria scourge in the country.
According to him, the elimination of malaria would reduce economic burden on citizens estimated at about N2 trillion.
He expressed confidence that the elimination of the Malaria scourge was achievable with strong collaboration.
The registrar said that collaboration between the Ministries of Environment, Health and Agriculture, as well as other relevant stakeholders would enhance the fight against the menace.
“You cannot achieve malaria elimination without significant contribution from relevant stakeholders, it cannot be a one show event.
“The council is coming out to tell Nigerians that malaria is a public health challenge and those of us that are responsible for controlling it will work together, because if there is no mosquitoes there will be no malaria.
“So, the EHORECON under the ministry of environment decided in collaboration with PECAN to show and indicate our wiliness, support and readiness.
“We are also ready to deploy our expertise, skills and new technology to actualise the elimination of malaria.
“It is in line with the President’s directive that all the tripartite ministries should work in the spirit of collaboration,’’ he said.
Yakubu said according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) about 51 million Nigerians suffer from malaria, and it accounted for highest number of deaths in the country.
He said that recently President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated Malaria Elimination Council, adding that the effort would put the country on a pathway to ending malaria for good.
“We know the economic hardship Nigerians are facing, if malaria is reduced, it will improve on the nation’s economy,” he added.
The FCT Chairman of PECAN, Mr Terungwa Abari, said creating strong awareness on the impact of mosquito to the health and economy of Nigerians would help to eliminate the malaria scourge.
“We must create strong awareness to ensure that everybody comes together to fight mosquitoes. We need to mobilise ourselves and make sure that we achieve the fight in the country.
“It is affecting us seriously. It has to be a collaborative approach for us to get rid of the mosquito.
“The involvement of the private sectors is also important, we will channel all our resources including our knowledge and work assiduously towards the fight,” he said.
Abari urged Nigerians to ensure that their environment was clean and healthy, adding that this was key to the elimination of mosquitoes and Malaria.
By Vivian Emoni
