Advocacy Core Group Decries Lack of Behavioural Change to Eradicate Malaria.

By Lucky Isibor.

The Advocacy Core Group, an umbrella body of Civil Society Organisations with core thematic area in the health sector has decried the lack of behavioural change among the people to eradicate malaria in Edo State.

According to the group, malaria still account for a greater percentage of hospital visits and loose of man hour as a result of ill health.

The Advocacy Core Group made its findings known in a press statement to mark this year's "World Malaria Day",  which is celebrated annually on the 25th of April. The theme of this year's celebration is, "Reaching the Zero Target".

                 Dr. Jude Obasanmi.

  Coordinator, Edo Advocacy Core Group.

According to the statement signed by the coordinator of the group, Dr. Jude Obasanmi, who is also the Chief Responsibility Officer of Josemaria Escriva Foundation, there's urgent need to pay attention to the various activities that can assist in the eradication of malaria.

While lamenting that there's nothing on ground to show that Nigeria and indeed Edo State will get to the zero point soon, the statement said, "A look at Nigeria and Edo State being an endemic community for malaria, there appears to be a far cry from reaching the Zero mark.

"There is no commensurate behavioral change that would help to eradicate malaria from our community. Malaria still account for the highest percentage of hospital visitation, loss of man hours in workplace, under five illnesses, illness during pregnancy etc. In terms of over the counter purchase of drugs, anti-malaria misuse may only be second to analgesic.  

"There is the urgent need for sustained attention to be paid to the various areas that can help eradicate malaria from our society.

One of the contributing factors to this is the state of our environment which has continued to deteriorate without adequate measures in place to check this. The behaviour and attitude of how people handle their environment remains worrisome. Waste management system which is poorly implemented and monitored give room for breeding sites for mosquitoes, the vector carrying the virus."

While appealing to the Edo State govermenmet to put measures in place to make the environment unfriendly for mosquito breeding and survival, the Advocacy Core Group enumerated what the group has been doing to eradicate malaria in our communities.

"We use this medium to call on the government to activate and sustain the various mechanism that would make our environment unfriendly to the breeding of mosquitoes. 

"The Edo State Advocacy Core Group (Edo ACG) has put plans in place to support this target of eradicating malaria in our communities in particular and the country as a whole. 

We would, in collaboration with other Non State Actors reactivate sustained sensitization and mobilization of citizens to play their roles in this wise while taking the COVID-19 protocol into consideration. 

"We are therefore calling on all to put their hands and resources on deck to ensure that the citizens adequately understand their roles in malaria eradication target.

"The Advocacy Core Group (ACG) Edo is committed to ensuring that all health issues get the needed attention including malaria, hence policy makers are also called upon on this day to review their political will to Malaria Eradication the needed attention," the statement said.

The Advocacy Core Group, an amagalm of Civil Society Organisations with thematic area in the health sector in collaboration with Josemaria Escriva Foundation, has been working assiduously for the eradication of malaria and other diseases in various communities in Edo State.