BY CHIOMA OBINNA & MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

LAGOS — Lagos State government yesterday said 60 percent of outpatients that visit the state owned health facilities, seek treatment for malaria.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, made this known in  Ikeja to herald the commencement of the 2014 Indoor Residual Spraying, IRS, which begins today and ends on April 23, 2014.

Outpatients are patients that aren’t admitted in the hospital who only visit for treatment.

Idris said: “Malaria remains endemic in the state, where it is both cause and consequence of underdevelopment and remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the state.”

He noted that this was the reason the state government commenced the distribution of insecticide nets and IRS, as major means to reduce and eliminate malaria transmission in the state before 2015 especially in a targeted area.

The commissioner explained that IRS is the application of chemical insecticide on walls and roofs of all houses and domestic animal shelter in given area.

The selected local government and Local Council Development Area, LCDA for the IRS campaign were: Kosofe, Ojo, ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu, Amuwo-Odofin, Badagry and Epe.

He added that the state has secured the services of 200 spray men and 50 supervisors for each of the LG and LCDAs and they are persons who know the councils better.

Idris however urged residents to cooperate with the officials whenever they visit their houses to apply the insecticide chemical.

According to him households are expected to stay outside during the spraying and observe the two-hour waiting period after the spraying before going back to their houses.

Walls and ceiling of sprayed houses are not expected to be painted within six months of spraying to prevent deactiva-tion of the insecticide.”