Political commitment key to malaria elimination-WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says political commitment is very crucial to eliminating malaria in Nigeria and other member countries in the African region.

 The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti stated this at the weekend during the Ministerial Roundtable on  ‘Rethinking malaria elimination’ organised by the federal ministry of health in collaboration with WHO and other partners.

She said others ways include effective control measures built on strong health system and primary health care, use of new tools and strategies, as well as sustained financing and good governance.

Dr Moeti also said translating political commitment to action was also important to changing the state of health in African countries.

She said investment in data especially at the sub national levels will help improve efficiency and reduce fragmentation, adding that it will also help in effective decision making.

The Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate said the outcome of the discussions at the meeting would help the country to move faster in deploying tools that could reduce the burden of malaria such as long-lasting insecticide nets, and better testing and treatment of malaria.

He said this also includes an approach that would improve the availability of affordable medicines for malaria, and fostering local production of products that help would reduce malaria in the country.

He said, “We have asked in our development partners to invest and support our local manufactures so that they will be able to produce many of those things here.”

The minister enjoined Nigeria to ask their leaders from the subnational levels as well as legislators the amount they are budgeting for malaria and get  more resources domesticated.