Pharma company urges Nigerians to embrace Seasonal Malaria Prophylaxis

By Olanrewaju Akojede

A leading pharmaceutical company, ST. Rachel’s Pharma, has called on Nigerians to embrace seasonal malaria chemoprevention to minimise morbidity and mortality.

The call comes as Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the World Malaria Day (WMD) 2024 on Thursday.

According to Dr Tosin Omolori, Medical Adviser of the pharmaceutical company,  seasonal malaria chemoprevention can be achieved by improving knowledge, sensitisation and implementation of SMC (seasonal malaria chemoprevention).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has set aside every April 25 as WMD, to consider the impact of malaria in the world and also reflect on its mortality.

The caption of 2024 World Malaria Day is “Advancing health equity, gender equality and human rights”.

The WHO in a statement had said: “With the international community, we commemorate this 17th World Malaria Day under the theme: “Advancing health equity, gender equality and human rights.

“This year’s theme highlights the need to ensure continuous and equitable delivery of malaria services to all who need them despite funding constraints, ensuring adequate coverage of the most vulnerable and at-risk populations with effective interventions.

“The last World Malaria Report demonstrates how malaria disproportionately affects vulnerable populations such as young children, pregnant women, rural communities, and displaced populations.

“Infants and young children represent about 80 per cent of the mortality.

“While studies show that children under the age of five from the poorest households in sub-Saharan Africa are five times more likely to be infected with malaria than those from the wealthiest households”.

However, ST. Rachel’s Pharma reflected that since 2012, WHO had recommended SMC (which is defined as the community-based, intermittent administration of full courses of antimalarial medicines during the malaria season), for children three to 59 months of age.

“This is expedient because malaria is hyper endemic with its attendant seasonal affiliation of symptoms and disease in tropical Nigeria.

“In clinical trials, SMC has been found to prevent up to 75 per cent of malaria cases in children under 5 years.

“Recent studies had shown that Vectors of Malaria Vivax like Anopheles Stephensi (which is very invasive especially in urban areas) have shown resistance to pyrethroids, organophosphates and carbamates used in production of Insecticides.

“This calls for attention and further research on new modalities to tackle the problem of resistance,” the company said.

The statement added that sometimes patients present to the hospital with symptoms classical to malaria but the kits are sub-standard hence the need for the availability of standard rapid diagnostic kit in hospitals.

“ST. Racheal’s Pharma calls on the National and Sub-National Governments in Nigeria to provide free malaria, free tests to indigent patients as part of the economic palliatives being rolled out across the country.

“As a corporate entity with a mandate of promoting good health in Nigeria and the African continent through information, education, manufacture, distribution, market and supply of quality pharmaceutical brands.

“We at ST. Racheal Pharma, are  in resonance with the call by the WHO, on countries to accelerate the fight against malaria for a more equitable world.

“From the foregoing, ST. Racheal Pharma, posits as follows: Improvement in community engagement in health decision making.

“Bringing healthcare close to where people live and work through enhanced investment in primary healthcare and include malaria control interventions in universal health coverage.

“ST. Racheal Pharma unites with the WHO under the 2024 theme `Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world’. (NAN)

Edited by Vivian Ihechu