(NAN) The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), said it would spend about N15 billion (75 million dollars) for the prevention of malaria in selected states of the country this year. Ms. Josephine Kamara, USAID’s Senior Development Outreach and Communications Specialist, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that the project was being funded under the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI).
Kamara said that since the inception of project in Nigeria in 2011, the government had committed about 345 million dollars to malaria control. “The U.S. President Malaria Initiative (PMI) provides funding annually for malaria control in Nigeria. The current budget for 2015 is 75 million dollars. “Since the inception of PMI in Nigeria in 2011, the total funds the U.S. government has committed for malaria control is about 345 million dollars.
“The budget includes cost of procurement of nets, diagnostics test kits and medicines,’’ she said. Kamara said that Sokoto, Bauchi, Kebbi and Nasarawa States had in 2013 and 2014 benefited from the nets, while Benue, Ebonyi, Cross River and Zamfara States benefited from the fund in 2015.
According to her, plans are on to also send nets to Kogi and Oyo States in 2016. The USAID Communication specialist said that PMI’s support to Nigeria was being guided by the PMI Strategy as well as the National Malaria Strategic Plan.
Kamara listed the key support areas to include malaria prevention through use of nets, indoor spraying, diagnosis of suspected fever cases and effective treatment with recommended antimalarial. (NAN)
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