The Enugu State Government has begun free malaria testing and treatment in 527 health facilities across all 17 Local Government Areas.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, told reporters on Wednesday that the initiative covers both public and private health facilities, including Primary Healthcare Centres, General and Cottage hospitals, as well as selected tertiary hospitals.
Ugwu said the program aims to drastically reduce malaria prevalence and incidence in the state.
“The Enugu State Ministry of Health Malaria Elimination Project, initiated by Gov. Peter Mbah, is designed to improve residents’ health,” he said.
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With support from health partners, free malaria test kits and drugs are available in many facilities. Ugwu urged residents to take advantage of the initiative and advised health workers to test for malaria before treatment, noting that “not all fever is malaria.”
The project, running for over a year, has already reduced malaria prevalence in the state to 9.9%, according to recent survey data.
