The National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) has applauded the Abia Government for reducing malaria prevalence from 16.5 per cent in 2024 to 11.5 per cent in 2025.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting, in Umuahia.
Kanu said that the commendation came during an advocacy visit by the NMEP delegation led by its National Coordinator, Dr Nnenna Ogbulafor.
“The team congratulated Abia State for the reduction in prevalence of malaria from 16.5 per cent in 2024 to 11.5 per cent in 2025,” he said.
He said that the programme also announced plans to distribute three million insecticide-treated mosquito nets across the state in September 2026.
Kanu further disclosed that the Ministry of Health had established a biomedical unit for maintenance and repair of medical equipment in government-owned hospitals.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at preventing equipment downtime and improving healthcare delivery.
“A hands-on training programme is ongoing for biomedical engineers and ministry staff on equipment maintenance,” he said.
He said that the training was organized in collaboration with MedShare USA and CPR USA Engineers, while the programme which was inaugurated on May 12 would end on May 22.
Kanu added that some General Hospitals under construction or renovation across the state were nearing completion.
The commissioner said that the Obingwa General Hospital and Arochukwu General Hospital would be commissioned during the present administration’s third anniversary celebrations.
He also disclosed that 15 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) currently being equipped would be functional and inaugurated within the same period.
Kanu said four additional PHCs had also been selected for onboarding into the Digital Health Project.
On disease surveillance, he assured residents that there was no confirmed case of any epidemic disease in Abia.
“The state public health unit is on alert and monitoring developments closely,” he said.
He advised residents to maintain personal and environmental hygiene, while avoiding contact with rodents.
Kanu urged members of the public to seek medical attention whenever they felt unwell.
He also said there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19, Lassa fever, Mpox, diphtheria, yellow fever, cholera or rabies in the state.
Also, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Uche, described the biomedical training as a strategic step toward sustaining healthcare reforms.
“We do not want equipment installed in hospitals to break down without maintenance capacity,” he said.
Uche said that the collaboration with MedShare would strengthen local capacity for equipment maintenance and management.
He added that the state government planned to domicile the programme at the Abia State College of Health Sciences and Management Technology.
“This is part of making the initiative sustainable and long-term,” Uche said.(NAN)
