The Executive Director of International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH), Moji Makanjuola, has urged Nigerians to sanitize their environment as the world commemorates World Malaria amid the battle against Coronavirus.

Makanjuola stated this in an address obtained by our correspondent on Sunday in Gombe.

She stressed that even as the world’s attention is focused on the novel Coronavirus, malaria is yet to go on recess or vacation.

Makanjuola added that Malaria affects 97% of the Nigerian Population, with an estimation of 100 million of malaria cases and over 300,000 deaths annually.

According to Makanjuola:

“COVID-19 has taken a centre stage, with the world’s full attention on it. However, other diseases will neither go on recess nor vacation, so we still have both communicable diseases (CDs)and non communicable diseases (NCDs) to contend with. This is why we still have formidable malaria around even with the global emergency- this pandemic. Malaria poses as a risk to 97% of the Nigerian Population, with an estimation of 100 million of malaria cases and over 300,000 deaths annually.

“Let us, therefore, keep Malaria in view as we combat Corona Virus and its deadly evil gifts-COVID-19. Let’s keep washing our Hands, let’s not touch our Mouth, Eyes and Nose, let’s cough elegantly into our Elbows, let’s keep our Environment clean to stop breeding mosquitoes that cause malaria, let’s pace out socially by 2 Metres.”

While underscoring the theme of this year’s commemoration of world malaria day ‘Zero Malaria starts with me’, she said the time to act to end malaria is now adding that Zero tolerance to Malaria should begin with each and every one of us. COVID-19 rides on pre-existing conditions to advance global notoriety for higher delivery of deadly impact.