The event, themed ‘Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvested, Reimagined and Reinstigated,’ had doctors give lectures to the students on the dangers of malaria and the progress made so far in combating it in Africa.

In her remarks, Doctor Oghenerukevwe Peretomode advised the students to ensure their environments are clean and free of ponds and bushes that could aid the breeding of mosquitoes, which spread malaria.

She said, There is an increased incidence and prevalence of malaria in our environment. A report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that last year, 11 million cases of malaria were recorded, which is more than what was recorded the previous year. It means that cases of malaria are rising instead of decreasing. That is why we have World Malaria Day, which is a bid to tackle these things.

Peretomode revealed that one of the reasons for the rising cases of malaria is due to a drug-resistant problem. 

She said, We have so many people taking malaria drugs when there is no reason for them to take them. At the slightest sign of a headache, we see them go to a pharmacy to buy an anti-malaria drug. What then happens is a resistance to anti-malaria drug when they eventually come down with the disease.

She advised people to ensure they consult a doctor for a malaria test to be certain they have the disease before taking anti-malaria drugs.

Another reason why there is an increase in cases of malaria is because of climate change. We are having an increase in global temperatures; it’s getting hotter, and there is an increase in flooding, which is good for mosquitoes to thrive, she said.

In his lecture, Dr Dharmendra Pandey of Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Limited sensitised the students on how to spot the right anti-malaria drugs approved by the WHO.

According to him, WHO approved tablets as the form anti-malaria drugs should come in. He, however, pointed out that anti-malaria drugs also exist in the form of soft gels made for specific people.

Some people are very sensitive to the odour of anti-malaria drugs. For such people, who are 0.8 per cent, soft gels were approved, he said.

Pandey then commended Nigeria’s effort in the fight against malaria, highlighting the contributions of non-governmental organisations in ensuring that the battle wages on.

In his remarks, the director, Chukwudalu Nwosu, said the event was part of Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Limited’s corporate social responsibilities and its contribution to the fight against malaria.

The event kicked off with free malaria testing and ended with a question and answer session and fun games that saw participants go home with gifts and anti-malaria drugs.

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