The Coordinating Minister of Health, Professor Mohammad Ali Pate says the federal government is committed to combating malaria and its growing burden on the health population of the country.
Pate spoke on Wednesday in Kano when he led a delegation of Global Health Partners on a courtesy visit to the Kano State government.
The Minister disclosed that the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration on quality healthcare system attracted the intervention of Global Health Partners with the commitment of $2 billion grant financing to fight malaria, tuberculosis and AIDs in the country.
Pate explained that the partners: Global Fund, US President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) have secured the Federal government’s assurances to crash the scourge of the three major communal diseases in some selected states, including Kano.
He, however, sought the political will of the Kano State government in the areas of counterpart funding, and other critical commitments to actualize the global intervention in the fight against the communicable diseases.
“Improved health is an investment in any society because that is the only investment that can guarantee productivity, prosperity and investment.
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“Health is also the centre of any country’s serious development agenda and our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken the bold move towards that.
“In expectation, the federal government is ready to work with states towards improving the health population of the country so that we can unleash the population’s potential.
“Infectious diseases such as malaria, with almost 30 percent global burden in Nigeria, Kano has the highest burden in the country.
“It is so important that the good work Kano has been doing over the years in fighting other diseases are expanded with the intervention from the Global Health Partners.
“The partners have seen the picture of things and they are ready to support Nigeria only if the states are committed to work together to achieve the objectives,” Pate said.