(Sokoto)
The Sokoto State Government has earmarked N113m for the fumigation of the state, in its resolve to eliminate malaria and other agents of COVID-19.
The Special Adviser to Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, in charge of the State Malaria Elimination Agency (SOSMES), Alhaji Abubakar Danlawan disclosed this in Sokoto while inaugurating the Central Facilitating Committee for the 2020 fumigation in the state.
Danlawan said Tambuwal was concerned about some of the symptoms in patients of COVID-19, especially severe malaria, and as such resolved to do something urgently about it.
“Governor Tambuwal believes that to succeed in fighting this dreaded disease, the state must wage a war against malaria among other agents of COVID-19,” he said.
According to Danlawan, the fumigation will simultaneously take place in all the 23 local government areas, adding that over 3,000 ad hoc staff will be engaged to carry out the exercise.
He also said the money would be used in buying chemicals, providing logistics and in paying allowances.
The special adviser also said the governor had approved the N509m as counterpart funds for 2020.
“Our partners like the Malaria Consortium and Presidential Malaria Initiative would spend the sum of N8.1billion this year and the money would be used mostly for the provision of drugs and treated nets which would be given free to patients and residents of the state,” he added.
Contributing, the Director- General, of the agency, Muslim Gobir, said the exercise would be the first of its kind in the state.
According to Gobir, the committee will review the existing fumigation plan and previous exercises and advise the agency on when and how best to conduct the exercise, among other recommendations
