Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government, on Friday, assured Nigerians that nobody would die of malaria-related disease by the year 2020.
The government, through the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, who gave the assurance at the 58th Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Abuja, added that strategic policies were being initiated to tackle malaria.
“We already have a strategic plan and that plan envisages absolute situation where no Nigerian will die of malaria by 2020.
“My appeal is for doctors not to treat malaria without diagnosis. Do not allow fluid to come in contact with blood. I have also written for the supply of gloves and other protective kids because most of these infections are transmitted from animals to humans.
“I will write a letter to the chairman of the occasion, Gen Yakubu Gowon, who led the war against the break up of Nigeria and the scorge of Guinea worm to also help us fight malaria.
“It was Prof Lambo who said that when you have everything and you do not have health then you have nothing.
“Also you must all corporate with one another. When you are fighting for anything, fight together.
“Each time I speak or ask for money, people will think that because I am a medical doctor,” he added.
Adewole, also gave reasons why the Federal Government banned codeine, revealing that the death rate was getting out of hand.
“The National Assembly wrote a letter to us with about twelve recommdations which include the ban on codeine, decriminalization of addiction and others.
“We set up a committee and the deadline was on the 12th of April, 2018.
“But for us as a government, we must stop the importation, production of cyrus containing codeine.
Adewole added that “under the former Minister of Health, Prof Ransome Kuti, cyrups were removed from the essential drugs use because according to him, if someone have cough, the treatment first is to diagnose it before the commencement of treatment.”
“I heard that people mix codeine with tramadol and hot water and after they take it, they begin to run mad and we don’t want that.”