From Okwe Obi Abuja,
To commemorate this year’s World Malaria Day, African Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF), has distributed 150 mosquito nets to residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
AYGF also conducted free medical test and gave out drugs, to ease the plight of residents in Lugbe community.
Its Executive Director, Arome Salifu, told journalists yesterday in Abuja that a survey was conducted around the area which showed that majority of the people were always complaining of malaria.
Represented by AYGF Head of Project Delivery Department, Monike Onungbogbo oyedele, he said: “Today is World Malaria Day. We are actually here for mapping.
“We conducted mapping for five to six different communities and this was one of the communities that we picked. And you know that malaria is very endemic.
“We visited few of the pharmacies or chemists and most of the cases the people bring for treatment is mostly malaria.
“That was the major reason we chose this location. So far we have tested over 40 people. Our target is 150 people.”
Also, the AYGF Programme Officer for Malaria, Rosemary Amana, revealed that the organisation would visit Zhilu village in the FCT to sensitise the people on the danger of malaria.
She added: “Also, if you go into the community you will notice that there are so many mosquito breeding cites. We took a mapping and it revealed that.
“If you had the opportunity to go round, you will see that there is actually the need to carry out the test here.
“There is a lot of gutters, stagnant water sites and so on. And there perfect places for mosquitoes to breed. Before we started testing we have done some health talk.
“In the middle of our testing, we still pause to do more. We try to talk to them we don’t just talk and go. They have to know how to prevent and manage.
“We told them that not all fever is malaria. You have to be conscious of that too.
“We also told them how to clear stagnant water. Prevention is better than cure. We have Zhilu village to visit. We ego there tomorrow.”
One of the beneficiaries, Fatima Maina, said she was happy with the magnanimity of AYGF, adding that mosquito nets would reduce the malaria in the community.
