As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark World Malaria Day 2023, Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Limited, a leading pharmaceutical company in Nigeria, has urged Nigerians to take proactive action to curb the spread of malaria, by not only the usual control and preventive measures but by treating confirmed cases of malaria with effective antimalarial drugs.
The pharmaceutical company made the call on Tuesday, 25 April, which is a day recognised by the United Nations (UN), to raise awareness of malaria at the national and international levels, through a press release made available to the journalists and signed by its Marketing Manager, Pharm. (Dr) Wilfred Uche Okolie.
Okolie, speaking on the theme for this year’s celebration “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement”, noted that the theme was used to highlight the burden of the disease on the world, adding that in order to deliver zero malaria, the world will need to employ combinations of strategies, look at the problem from many different angles and be innovative.
While stressing that malaria has continued to be a major public health concern globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, he disclosed that with collective effort, the complete elimination of malaria is possible, and a world with zero malaria is also possible.
Quoting the WHO’s report on 2022 WMD, Okolie said about 95 per cent of the estimated 228 million cases in 2021 occurred in Africa, along with 602,020 reported deaths. It further stated that six African countries, worst impacted by malaria, are reported to have accounted for up to 55 per cent of cases globally and for 50 per cent of these deaths, saying this is a reduction from the 241 million cases in 2020 and estimated deaths at 627,000.
“According to the latest World Malaria Report, “four African countries accounted for just over half of all malaria deaths worldwide: Nigeria (31.9 per cent), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (13.2 per cent), the United Republic of Tanzania (4.1 per cent), and Mozambique (3.8 per cent). In 2019, there were 303 cases per 1,000 population at risk of malaria”.
“Nigeria accounts for about 31.9 per cent of the global malaria deaths; this is approximately 200,000 deaths in 2021. Over 60 million people are infected yearly and an estimated US$1.1 billion is lost yearly due to malaria-related absenteeism and productivity losses”, he stated.
Okolie, however said that individuals must take personal responsibility to eliminate malaria in the country, adding that beyond the usual control and preventive measures, they must treat confirmed cases of malaria with P-Alaxin and avail themselves of the benefit of complete cure and post-treatment protection which the drug offers especially for patients leaving in areas of high endemicity.
According to him, P-Alaxin is a clinically proven, safe and efficacious drug that contains dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine phosphate. It is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an effective and preferred treatment option against malaria, as it offers a sure solution against resistant and recurrent malaria.
“For over 20 years, Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Limited has been leading the fight against drug counterfeiting and working towards a malaria-free environment. We are the marketers of P-Alaxin Tablets in Nigeria and for over 14 years of marketing this product, we have remained committed to sustaining its quality and that of all our brands”.
