The United States Government’s investment in Sokoto State had contributed to the reduction of malaria prevalence in children from 9.7 per cent in 2008 to 6.2 per cent in 2014.

Head of Party, Targeted States High Impact Project (TSHIP), Mr. Nosa Orabotan an NGO supported by USAID, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

TSHIP, which seeks to promote good governance in the country, has operational link with the United States Agency for International Development.

Orabotan said the collaboration between the state and USAID had applied a three-pronged strategy to achieve the success.

According to him, the success is achieved through the expanded access to long-lasting insecticide treated nets, increased use of better malaria diagnostics and effective anti-malarial medicines.

“The USAID/TSHIP support in Sokoto shows three fold percentage increase in children subjected to confirmatory diagnosis for malaria from 20 per cent in 2011 to 56 per cent in 2014.

“There was increase in access to Artemisinin based combination therapy in treatment of children with fever from 48 per cent in 2011 to 66 per cent in 2013.”

The scribe said 300 healthcare providers and patent medicine sellers in the state were trained to diagnose malaria correctly.

He said in the past five years more than 8,300 community health facility workers were trained to provide malaria related services.

He said the state in collaboration with other partners used advocacy and mass media campaigns to ensure malaria commodities were available.

He further said the campaign was also to ensure that messages on the effective use of bed nets reached the target audience.

NAN also reports that Malaria is a major cause of maternal mortality and poor child development in Nigeria and other developing nations.

According to the Federal Ministry of Health, malaria is responsible for 30 per cent childhood deaths, 25 per cent of death of children under one year of age. (NAN)

•Photo shows Gov.Tambuwal

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