Reps urge FGN to declare state of emergency on malaria
The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to declare a state of emergency on malaria and subsidize malaria drugs for citizens if they cannot be made free at all government health centres.
Amobi Godwin Ogar, Chairman of the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Control, made the call during the inaugural committee meeting on Thursday.
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Ogar expressed concern about the increasing rate of malaria infections in the country, with many Nigerians affected but unable to afford drugs.
He also noted the proliferation of fake and sub-standard malaria drugs in Nigeria and promised that the committee would identify their sources and impose penalties on them.
Ogar warned that producers and distributors of fake and sub-standard malaria drugs will have no hiding place under their watch.
The committee will critically examine the operations and processes of the Global Fund in relation to its intervention mechanism in the fight against HIV/AIDS.