The Federal Government’s fight against malaria received a boost at the weekend when it received 5,000 doses of anti-malaria regiment – Maldox – from Emzor Pharmaceutical Company.
The donation is to support the TIOTOP project in Ondo State to bridge the gap of doses of SP stock-out at health facilities.
Ondo is among the three top states in the country with the highest burden of malaria. The others are Niger and Ebonyi. The project in Ondo is handled by National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) and the Reproductive Health Division of Family Health Department, in collaboration with Jhpieg on Transforming Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Optimal Pregnancy (TIPTOP) project.
Malaria is responsible for about 11 per cent of pregnancy-related maternal deaths yearly in the country. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 27 per cent of children between six and 59 months tested positive to malaria by microscopy.
Similarly the World Health Organisation (WHO) study states that 25 per cent of malaria cases in the world occurs in Nigeria while 24 per cent of deaths resulting from malaria also take place in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer of Emzor, Mrs. Stella Okoli, presented the drugs to the Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorumibe Mamora, in Abuja.
The Minister commended the company for its gesture and urged other firms to emulate them by joining hands with the government to improve the health of the people.
He said: “Nigerians have the capacity to do so many things so far the enabling environment is there. We assure that we will do all that is possible to recover lost grounds.”
Also, the Permanent Secretary, Abdullahi Marshi, said the anti-malaria drug from Emzor would be taken to Ondo State to help fill the supply gap. He announced a promise of another 3,000 doses from the same company in the next three months to complete the gap as identified by the project in Ondo state.
“You will agree with me that this is a big boost to our public-private partnership in the fight against malaria. Today, we are witnessing the donation of 5000 doses of SP Maldox tablet from Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited towards the realisation of TIPTOP project in Ondo State. Emzor Pharmaceutical has also gone far with the WHO pre-qualification on the SP product currently on the bioequivalence studies,” Marshi said.
The CEO of Emzor said there was the need for the government to collaborate more with the private sector in addressing health challenges confronting Nigerians.
Also Emzor Executive Director Special Duties, Uzoma Ezeoke said the reason for their intervention is not just to save pregnant women, but also their babies. She said Emzor was responding to a call for assistance from the national malaria elimination programme.
