In an effort to strengthen the fight against malaria, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has approved the establishment of a dedicated agency for the control of the dreaded tropical disease.
The body to be known as the Sokoto Agency for Malaria Control, will take off in January 2017 and it will be the focal point of implementing all policies related to malaria prevention and treatment in the state.
With this approval, Sokoto becomes the first state in Nigeria to create such an agency.
A statement issued in Sokoto on Sunday by Governor Tambuwal’s spokesman, Malam Imam Imam, said the new agency would provide administrative, secretarial, communications and logistics support in the push to contain malaria and related diseases.
It added that the agency would also fulfil roles supporting working and technical groups set up by both the state and Federal governments, as well as development partners and other stakeholders.
Other responsibilities include offering and providing technical support to other health agencies and partners to improve the health of the people through prevention and control.
Similarly, the agency will support policy makers in designing and implementing evidence-based interventions, assessing the burden of the disease and monitoring progress towards reducing mortality by integrating these activities with management and dissemination of technical knowledge through strengthening of disease surveillance and response systems and public health programmes and services.
Meanwhile, the Sokoto State Government has commended the Nigerian Army for banning the sale of illicit drugs and sealing shops selling such substance at the Giginya Barracks in the state capital.
The government state said years of subtle diplomacy over the issue had yielded dividends, when the Army authorities saw reason in banning the illicit trade.
