World Mosquito Day: Nigeria slowing global fight

Nigeria suffers the world’s greatest malaria burden and accounts for a quarter of the burden of malaria epidemic globally with 97 per cent of the population at risk of contracting malaria says the latest report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicating that the country is slowing down global efforts to control the spread of mosquitoes.

 

Nigeria has made enormous strides in lowering the national impact of mosquitoes which is responsible for spreading the diseases like malaria, dengue, chikungunya, zika, and encephalitis.

 

According to the World Health Organisation, mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest animal, these diseases cause a million losses (deaths) every year, worldwide.

 

However, health experts say the major problem with the prevalence of malaria is that the mosquitoes and parasites that causes and spreads disease are developing resistance to the insecticides and antimalarial drugs used to fight them.

 

WHO defines resistance to insecticides as “an ability to tolerate doses of toxicants, which would prove lethal to the majority of individuals in a normal population of the same insect species,”

 Resistance arises from the selection of individuals able to survive and reproduce in an insecticide-treated environment or after being in contact with insecticides.

 

World Mosquito Day is observed on August 20 to commemorate British doctor Sir Ronald Ross’ 1897 discovery that female mosquitoes were responsible for transmitting the malaria parasite.

 

The yearly event creates awareness about the causes of malaria and how it can be prevented, as well as fundraising for research into the cure of malaria.

 

Laz Eze, a public health expert told BusinessDay that Nigeria can learn from the United States of America on how they tackle the spread of mosquitoes. It is a joint effort to eradicate mosquitoes in the country.

 

“The key is prevention, that how it can be wiped out,”

 

“The federal government need to increase its political will in support the global effort and also the masses complying on behavioural change in there various environments will help reduce the spreads of mosquitoes causing the huge burden of malaria in the country,” said Eze.

 

Studies conducted by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, revealed that there is high level of resistant mosquitoes in several states in Nigeria.

 

Chris Bode, the chief medical director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos said Nigeria is among the countries which are still unable to eradicate malaria, although there has been renewed interest in researches and innovations in diagnostics methods, drugs productions and the developments i control measures to eradicate malaria.

 

“Increase in the number of people who sleep under long-lasting insecticidal nets, or protected as well as diagnostic testing of children and treatment of pregnant women will contribute to significantly lowering incidence and mortality in Nigeria”

“To achieve these putting all efforts resources in control and providing more domestic funding to fight malaria will have a huge impact,” said Bode.

 

Ojo Sikru, a medical practitioner based in Lagos said promoting a clean environment free from stagnant water, will greatly reduce the prevalence of mosquitoes. Malaria still remains rampant in Nigeria due the prevalence of dirt in the environment.

 

“Mosquitoes breed in dirt environment; we need to do more by keep the surrounding clean and people  sleeping under treated nets” he advised.