A Scientist, Dr Olumide Ogundahunsi, has said the country can drastically reduce the number of people that die and fall sick of malaria every year if all hands continue to be on deck.
Ogundahunsi made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.
He spoke on the sidelines of a merit award organised by the Igbobi College Old Boys Association as part of activities at the 90th anniversary of the college.
Ogundahunsi is also a Senior Administrator at the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Disease, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland.
“Science has been able to come up with malaria vaccine, which is relatively effective, especially among children who are younger than five years old.
“But also there are many other things that we can do to prevent malaria or reduce the spread of malaria in our society in the use of bed nets; prompt treatments and prompt diagnosis of the disease.
“Also, certain environmental interventions that can be put in place in terms of the way we construct our houses; reducing stagnant pools of water where mosquitoes breed.
“All of these environmental interventions as well as medical will go a long way to reducing the burden of malaria, “ he said.
The scientist said also that primary healthcare remains the key to preventing diseases and illnesses from becoming very serious that would require secondary and tertiary hospital care.
“We need to look at things from the primary healthcare and make sure that ultimately the basic health needs of the people living in the communities are catered for with having functional primary health centres, “ Ogundahusi said.
At the merit award, Ogundahusi, received an award in the category of Professional Excellence.
He expressed gratitude and thanked the association for recognising him.
“For me there’s no greater honor than to be recognised by your peers as to have achieved something.
“So, I feel extremely proud of having come to Igbobi college; I feel extremely grateful to God for all the potentials he has given me first of all to attend this school.
“Also, subsequently, how this class impacted on everything I have been able to accomplish so far in life, “ he said.
Apart from Ogundahunsi, 13 other old students of the school were given various awards for excellence.
Earlier, the old and present students, as well as staff and parents, among others, gathered for a thanksgiving service at the school chapel to thank God for its past nine decades.
Three projects carried out by old boys of the school were also inaugurated on Sunday as part of the celebration.(NAN)