Abuja residents appeal for government support in malaria prevention efforts

‎By Safia Abdulrahman

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‎Residents of the Federal Capital Territory have urged government to revive monthly environmental sanitation exercises and expand distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to curb malaria spread across communities nationwide.

The residents made the appeal in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday to commemorate World Malaria Day, observed annually on April 25 worldwide.

They said reintroducing structured sanitation and improving access to preventive tools would significantly reduce mosquito breeding sites and lower malaria cases in affected communities across the territory over time.

Mrs Aisha Yakubu, a mother of four residing in Kubwa, said suspension of regular sanitation exercises had worsened waste management and increased stagnant water in many neighbourhoods across the area recently.

She recalled that authorities previously designated specific sanitation days with strong compliance, but now gutters blocked, dirty water accumulated widely.

She urged government to urgently restore the exercise nationwide.

Mr Eze Chidubem, a trader in Dei Dei, emphasised the need for free or subsidised distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, especially for low-income earners struggling to afford preventive health materials regularly.

He said many households couldn’t consistently afford mosquito nets or insecticides.

He said that government distribution programmes like previous efforts would significantly help families remain protected against malaria infections within communities.

Mrs Grace Daniel, a resident of Dakwa, said that prevailing economic hardship had made it difficult for many families to consistently maintain malaria preventive measures in spite of adequate awareness about the disease.

She explained that although people understood malaria prevention, rising costs forced difficult choices, sometimes between feeding households and purchasing insecticides or other protective materials needed for effective prevention efforts regularly.

Dr Musa Bello, a physician in the Department of Family Medicine at Kubwa General Hospital, said that environmental control remained one of the most effective strategies for reducing malaria transmission by consistently eliminating mosquito breeding sites.

He explained that mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, emphasising sanitation as critical, adding that reviving monthly environmental sanitation exercises would greatly help address the problem across affected communities effectively and sustainably.

Bello also highlighted the importance of insecticide-treated nets, describing them as simple and effective tools for preventing mosquito bites, particularly among vulnerable groups like children and pregnant women in communities.

He added that awareness must be matched with access and consistent practice to achieve meaningful results, as Nigeria marks World Malaria Day with renewed calls for prevention and stronger government intervention.(NAN)(www.nanews.ng)