How govt can tackle malaria scourge decisively in Nigeria – Don

A university don, Monsuru Adeleke, has said the battle against the malaria scourge in Nigeria could only be won if the government and policymakers adopt integrated vector control strategies to combat vector-borne diseases.

Mr Adeleke, a professor who is an expert in public health entomology and parasitology, also contended that existing laws on environmental sanitation and pollution need to be strengthened and strictly enforced.

He noted, “Mosquitoes breed in our surroundings, and preventing their breeding grounds solves 80 per cent of the danger posed by malaria fever.”

Mr Adeleke spoke on Wednesday in Osogbo while delivering the inaugural lecture series 20 of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), titled “Unending War of Man Against Mosquitoes and Blackflies: A Tale of Two Sacrificial Lambs Searching for Survival.”

According to him, “The government and policymakers must adopt integrated vector control strategies to combat vector-borne diseases. The mono-policy being implemented over the years is not yielding satisfactory results. It will give the vectors a free way to devise means of escaping the onslaught.”

Mr Adeleke canvassed for attitudinal change in Africa, and Nigeria in particular must win the war against vector-borne diseases. He said this was because many of our activities in Nigeria inadvertently create environments conducive to vectors.

“For instance, our habit of turning gutters into dumping sites during the wet season blocks river flow, creating stagnant water ideal for mosquito breeding. Let us stop the indiscriminate use of insecticides. Let us stop habits that create opportunities for the vectors to breed and thrive,” he said.

Also speaking on the sideline of the inaugural lecture, the Vice Chancellor of UNIOSUN, Odunayo Adebooye, observed that the lecturer had provided clues as to how we can adequately and appropriately manage mosquitoes so that the scourge of malaria can be reduced in our society.

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“We need to establish a public health safety mechanism through the use of health inspectors, who will be going round communities, especially rural areas. There is a need to remove all bad and expired tyres from our environment. These tyres house water where mosquitoes breed. Public hygiene is key to this war against mosquitoes.

“Public hygiene department is critical to the battle against mosquitoes. I am sure that by strengthening that sector of health delivery mechanisms of the government, the scourge of malaria will be reduced in our society.

“Just as this inaugural lecturer had done, scientists are to identify what the problems are and then tackle the problem headlong. In the same way, we can work on yellow fever, dengue fever, monkeypox and other diseases. Diseases should have specialists that will deal with them for prevention rather than looking for a cure,” Mr Adebooye said.