By Chioma Umeha
To end the malaria scourge, Reckitt Benckiser (RB)
Nigeria teamed with the Lagos, Ogun and Abia state governments, Federal Capital
Territory (FCT) and the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Abuja
and embarked on community engagement.
The collaboration tagged, ‘One Act Against
Malaria,’ was to mark this
year’s World Malaria Day with the universal theme ‘End Malaria for Good.’
The community engagement saw officials from the
States Ministry of Health and Reckitt Benckiser, makers of Mortein insecticide
brand carry out sanitation, free malaria testing and consultation in four
states – Abuja, Abia, Ogun and Lagos State.
They also went round communities to sensitise and
educate residents on the immense benefits of maintaining clean environment as
one of the most cost effective ways to reduce mosquitoes which are the major
carriers of malaria parasite.
Speaking at the press briefing in Abuja to
commemorate this year’s World Malaria Day (WMD), Mr. Rahul Murgai, said the
community engagement and collaborations are part of numerous consumer
engagement activities by the company to stem the prevalence of malaria scourge
in Nigeria and Africa.
Murgai said the partnership with the States and
Federal Government, which has been on-going for years, also demonstrates the
company’s commitment to the anti-malaria fight in the country towards a healthy
Nigeria.
He said: “At RB, our global vision is to have a
world where people are healthier and live better. In achieving this, we will
continue to make a difference by giving people innovative solutions for
healthier lives and happier homes. We know that regular combined interventions
of Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs), Larviciding and insecticide use like
Mortein is the solution to achieving a Malaria-free Nigeria. Therefore to
protect our children and ourselves from getting sick, the first thing to do is
to educate ourselves about prevention.”
Leferink Aliza, Marketing Director, RB West Africa,
explained that, through the grassroots community engagement, we educate
communities on the importance of hygiene, and how the simple habit of
maintaining clean surroundings and drainages can significantly help to reduce
malaria.
According to Aliza, there are an estimated 100
million malaria cases with over 300,000 deaths per year in Nigeria, mostly
among children under the age of five.
“Malaria is preventable and we have made it our
fight to educate on how to protect the most vulnerable – Pregnant women and
children and their families against Malaria. This has also leveraged on the
Clean Healthy Naija program which RB is leading across various platforms
especially for preventable diseases.
Reiterating Mortein’s commitment to eradicating
Malaria, Bamigbaiye-Elatuyi Omotola, Marketing Manager Mortein, RB West Africa,
stated that Mortein has been at the forefront of the fight against Malaria in
Nigeria.
“In the past few years, Mortein has partnered with
the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Malaria Elimination
Programme (NMEP), Lagos state Ministry of Health (LSMOH) and various state
ministries of health to foster education on malaria prevention via TV
infomercials.
“Others are education at primary healthcare
centres and the Mortein Own a Community Project which has been well executed
across all LGA’s in Lagos State.
“We intend to take this a step further by having
doctors in Markets to do free Malaria test and consultation in cities of high
prevalence across the country.
“Additionally, #OneActAgainstMalaria campaign has
recently been deployed to bring the message closer by imploring everyone to do
one preventive act towards the eradication of Malaria within their immediate
environment.”
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, in his
address at the Abuja event, said this year’s campaign aims at drawing
significant attention to the need to totally eradicate the malaria scourge in
the country.
Adewole commended Mortein for its work and
continuous support in the fight against malaria through its collaboration with
the government.
He therefore pledged the Federal government’s
commitment to work with RB/ Mortein to ensure total eradication of malaria in
the country by imploring everyone to do acts against malaria in their
community.
The Commissioners for health in Lagos, Ogun and
Abia States also commended Mortein for teaming up with their respective State
governments in the fight against malaria.
