By Chioma Obinna

To mark this year’s World Malaria Day, stakeholders have urged Nigerians to go for proper malaria tests
before treatment, insisting that malaria is preventable if basic prevention measures are applied.
The stakeholders spoke during a Football Tournament and Medical Outreach entitled: “Kick Against
Malaria” organised by the Youth Development and Empowerment Iniative, YEDI, in collaboration with
ExxonMobil, Grassroot Soccer, ACT Foundation and Common Goal in Ijegun area of Lagos weekend.
In his submission, the Partnership Programme Manager, Grassroot Soccer, Dr Babatunde Odusolu also urged the government at all levels to create an environment for the availability of malaria testing through the provision of test kits and access to adequate medication as well as treatment.

According to him, avoiding self-diagnosis and the use of concotions, and creating an environment where people can readily pick up insecticide-treated nets will also help to keep malaria at bay.

He said: “Malaria is preventable. We can do simple things to prevent it such as; keeping your environment clean, ensuring you dislodge drainages and remove stagnant water as these are breeding sites for mosquitoes, ensuring that overgrown bushes in your environment are trimmed, ensuring you
take balanced diets, and ensure you go for proper testing whenever you have any related symptoms.

“And above all, all pregnant women except contraindicated are to be on malaria prevention drugs
because under-five children and pregnant women are most vulnerable and hence the use of insecticide-treated nets are highly recommended. If we do that, we will reduce the burden,” he stated.

Odusolu explained that the football tournament was another way ExxonMobil was using to attend to issues around malaria, said it was strictly to create s awareness geared towards reduction of the impact/disease burden of malaria in Nigeria and other countries.
“Football has a global acceptance; you can see a lot of vibes and energy being dissipated by youths in particular. People are always enamoured with football all over the world. Football is an entry point for mobilizing participants in community awareness programmes. The beauty of soccer is that it has no limitation nor is it restricted to any religion, clan or geography. Soccer is galvanising people together so they can get this message on malaria.

Corroborating his views, the Deputy Director, Youth Development and Empowerment Initative, Mr Oluwatomisan Adeoye said YEDI is using football for social development and another creative way of mobilising people as well as passing across information about preventing and treating malaria to both the young and old in the community.

“According to the WHO statistics, the incidence of malaria is gradually reducing but nevertheless in Nigeria, apart from HIV, malaria seems to be a public health disease, but the incidences are reducing and people are becoming more aware.”

She said as a major public health disease, malaria can be very deadly if not treated, hence, the need for more awareness.

She said the medical outreach was designed to reach at least 500 people with preventive messages while not less than 400 treated nets were distributed.
She further encouraged Nigerians to always get tested for malaria before treatment.
“Government should also do a lot more awareness creation and also fumigate areas that are highly populated to prevent mosquito bites.