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Niger’s government has launched a national campaign aimed at reducing the incidence and impact of malaria in the country, PANA quoted acting Health Minister Ari Ibrahim as saying at the launch on Monday. There are on average 850,000 reported malaria cases per year in Niger, and this causes an annual deficit of 15 billion CFA (US $20.2 million), including US $8.1 million lost to absences and US $12.1 million spent on treatment, PANA quoted Ibrahim as saying.
The campaign focuses mainly on encouraging people to keep homes, streets and public places clean and to sleep under impregnated mosquito nets.
The minister also urged the public to report to hospitals and health centres as soon as they began to experience malaria symptoms, PANA reported. The campaign is part of ‘Roll Back Malaria’, a multisectoral initiative launched in 1998 by the World Health Organization to eliminate the disease.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions