By Abdallah el-Kurebe

As Malaria Day is being celebrated globally, the government of Nigeria has assured that the Buhari administration would strive to ensure that malaria was exterminated from the country from the 2025, five years ahead of the global target of 2030.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole Folorunsho spoke in Sokoto on Monday at one of the events to mark Malaria Day celebration.

He added that the Federal Government was also working to ensure that no Nigerian died of malaria or malaria-related illness from the year 2020.

Speaking also, governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto said that the state government recently received Trachoma drugs worth N3.1 billion in aid.

“The fight against these diseases requires collective efforts. Drugs worth billions of Naira from the inception of the programs were provided through the joint efforts of Federal Ministry of Health, Partners and State Government. Recently, the State Government received a donation of Trachoma drugs worth N3.1 billion which will be distributed in 12 LGAs of Isa, Sabon Birni, Goronyo, Rabah, Bodinga, Binji, Tangaza, Kware, Silame, Wamakko, Illela and Gada,” Tambuwal added.

He said that drugs worth billions of Naira had been distributed to all parts of the state with government receiving donations from the federal government and development partners to tackle the issues.

Nigeria alone, Tambuwal added, accounts for over 40 percent of the estimated total malaria deaths globally, a situation that was not only alarming, but must be tackled for any meaningful development to occur.

He stressed that his government would continue to provide free medical care to pregnant mothers and children under the age of five, who were vulnerable to malaria and other tropical diseases, adding that similar passion would be embarked upon so as to provide care to people living in remote areas of the state.