The Kwara State Government has trained medical doctors across its healthcare facilities on the management of severe malaria.
This, the government said, was part of its ongoing campaign to eliminate the disease and strengthen clinical capacity.
The two-day training, held under the theme “Strengthening Clinical Capacity for Early Detection, Effective Management, and Reduction of Mortality from Severe Malaria,” was organised by the Kwara State Ministry of Health as a Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop.
The initiative forms part of the state’s preparations for the 2025 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign, which will involve the house-to-house distribution of preventive antimalarial drugs to children aged 3–59 months across 11 eligible local government areas in the state.
Oluwatosin Fakayode, Director of Public Health stressed the importance of early diagnosis and timely treatment, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children under five and pregnant women.
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“Despite significant progress in prevention and control, severe malaria remains a major public health threat in Nigeria and in Kwara State,” Fakayode said.
He praised Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for prioritising malaria elimination through continuous investments in healthcare and clinical training.
However, Latifat Abdullahi, Programme Manager of the Malaria Unit, commended the participating doctors for their commitment despite their busy schedules.
She emphasised the role of continuous professional development in achieving improved health outcomes and encouraged the doctors to apply their newly acquired knowledge in their practice.
Oladapo Kazeem, Head of Malaria Case Management, presented data highlighting Nigeria’s significant malaria burden, accounting for roughly 24% of global malaria deaths.
He noted that the state had reduced malaria prevalence among children under five from 26% in 2015 to 6% in 2021.
He attributed the progress to increased access to Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs), strengthened healthcare systems, and sustained public health interventions.
