Billionaire businessman and politician, Ned Nwoko, has flagged off a malaria eradication program to overcome the recurring tragedy of hundreds of thousands of avoidable health complications and deaths as a result of the deadly disease.
Speaking during a world
press conference in Abuja yesterday, Nwoko said the Prince Ned Nwoko Foundation
was committed to rendering support and services to the needy, the society and
humanity at large. He also said that there were plans to sponsor a bill at the
National Assembly, Abuja for there to be a National Fumigation Day in Nigeria.
Nwoko noted that in the course of his numerous interventions, he discovered
that malaria scourge constitutes one of the greatest impediments to the general
wellbeing and development of Africans and their societies. According to him,
‘’Most health challenges suffered by Africans including death, organ damage and
other physical and mental impairments are directly or indirectly traceable to
malaria. ‘’Today, my foundation formally begins an audacious journey towards a
malaria-free Nigeria and Africa. In this project, we will work with national
and multilateral organizations. ‘’We will equally collaborate with governments,
private organizations and civil society towards achieving our core objective of
extending malaria intervention programs beyond the threshold of control and
palliatives. We have our eyes fixed on a permanent solution to the age-long
scourge.’’
He further stated that most health challenges
suffered by Africans including death, organ damage and other physical and
mental impairments are directly or indirectly traceable to malaria. ‘’Also, the
parasitic disease causes huge economic loss by draining considerable funds that
could have been used for support growth and general societal development.
‘’Malaria does not only cause loss of life but also interferes with
athleticism, socio-economical activities and general way of life of the people
over a sustained period,’’ he said. Nwoko explained that the inclination to
empathize, assist and care for vulnerable Nigerians made him and his wife,
Regina Daniels Nwoko to embark on the mosquito elimination and malaria
eradication program. ‘’The short-term delivery plan shall be National
mobilization for the fumigation of Nigeria and other African countries. Prince
Ned Nwoko plans to sponsor a bill at the National Assembly, Abuja for there to
be a National Fumigation Day in Nigeria”. ‘’We will encourage the same measure
in other African countries. To achieve performance, community members will be
made stakeholders of their environments in the mosquito elimination campaign. Community
town hall meetings shall be held to appoint Sanitation Ambassadors and
officers,’’ he added.
Source: Vanguard
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