Katsina State has earmarked N240m for the eradication of malaria in the state this year.

The Malaria Elimination Programme Manager at the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Bashir Adamu, made the disclosure on Friday in Katsina during a formal session to mark the end of the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Development Organisation-funded Support to National Malaria Programme-Phase II in the state.

Adamu disclosed that the money was captured  in the 2021 budget, adding that the state had not been relenting in its efforts at eliminating malaria.

He also said 274 health care providers had been pencilled down for training on the management of uncomplicated cases of malaria.

The immediate past chairman of the Civil Society Organisations in the state, Dr Bishir Ruwangodiya, said the establishment of a full=fledged agency for malaria control would go a long way in assisting in eliminating the disease in the state.

Ruwangodiya, who is  Governor Aminu Masari’s Special Adviser on Higher Education, said, “I want to appeal to the state House of Assembly to pass a resolution immediately to call the attention of the state government to ensure that the agency for malaria control is established in the state.

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“And the Ministry of Health should fast-track this process and ensure that the department under the ministry taking care of malaria is converted into a full-fledged agency that would take care of malaria issues in Katsina State.”

SuNMaP2 leader in Katsina State, Hafsat Baba, in her presentation, said malaria treatment in the state had improved from 25 per cent in 2019 to 45 per cent in 2020.

She said, “Malaria testing improved from 56 per cent to 66 per cent across the board. Artesunate use for severe malaria recorded an improvement of 50 per cent in 2019 to 51 per cent in 2020.

“ACT treatment for non-severe malaria admissions improved from 11 per cent in 2019 to 21 per cent in 2020. Compliance with test negative admissions: 35 per cent in 2019 to 47 per cent in 2020.”