Na so e be o! African heads of state gather for 39th AU Summit for Addis Ababa wey dem yan plenty matter concerning malaria. Wetin dem talk? Dem don raise alarm say if we no shape up, the way malaria dey chop people go come worse pass as dem dey struggle for money wey fit support fight against this wahala.
The report wey President Duma Boko of Botswana present, show say na Africa dey carry 96% of malaria infection for 2024, no be small matter o! Dem talk say na 594,119 people die from am that year and 76% of dem na pikin wey dey under five. Una see as e hot? Na Nigeria, DRC, and Niger dey carry the heavy load of these deaths.
Dem leaders don talk say progress don dey stagnate since 2015, only five countries don fit meet the target of reducing malaria cases by 75% wey dem set for 2025. Na serious matter o! If we no do something quick, dem dey talk say we fit see 640 million people without mosquito nets, an extra 146 million malaria cases and 397,000 deaths by 2030. Imagine the wahala we go face if things no change!
President Duma talk say in just four years, health support don drop by 70%, and Global Fund wey suppose help money don fall below $18 billion target. We no fit let this thing carry us go back to the dark days when malaria dey chop life anyhow!
Na so dem gather talk say dem go step up domestic financing, mobilize resources and partner with private sectors to gather money wey go fit help tackle this malaria problem. E get as 12 countries don mobilize over $200 million through public-private partnerships. E show say with cooperation, we fit move mountains.
For this summit, na community participation and local manufacturing dem dey yan about. Because presently, Africa dey import 99% of im vaccines and 95% of medicine. If we dey produce our medicine locally, we go fit reduce prices and get better access.
Tanzania don dey showcase wetin dem dey do proudly. Dem get Ifakara Health Institute wey dey do better research for malaria tech, and dem dey use new nets wey dey 45% effective against resistant mosquitoes.
The leaders also share say 24 countries don bring WHO-approved malaria vaccines, with over 28 million doses don distribute for 2025, wey dey show say na serious effort dey go on. Na only 10 million doses dem distribute in 2024!
Dem dey call on global partners make dem no forget their promise come fulfill dem side of the deal. Leaders dey appeal for everybody to join hand together to make sure say e no go be wahala for the future generation.
Orchestrating all this gist na not their first time, dem dey do am continuously till them reach 2030 goal of malaria elimination. The fight go continue, and we dey pray make dem no tire and make we all support this cause!
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