The Coordinator, Office of the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, has called for intensified collaboration among government, development partners and citizens to eliminate malaria, describing the disease as preventable, treatable and one that should no longer claim lives in the state.
Lady Obareki made the call during the third edition of the Fight Against Malaria in Pregnant Women and Children Today (FAM-Pact) awareness walk held in Uyo as part of activities marking the 2026 World Malaria Day, themed “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can, Now We Must!”
The event, organised by Ibom Air in collaboration with the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health and other partners, drew government officials, health experts, development agencies, civil society groups and residents in a united campaign against malaria.
Addressing participants at the event, Lady Obareki expressed concern over the continued toll of malaria, especially among women and children, describing malaria-related deaths as unacceptable in an era where preventive and treatment options are readily available.
“Malaria is treatable, preventable and avoidable. It breaks my heart when I hear the statistics of how many women and children are still dying from malaria. It should be a thing of the past by now. We must be more intentional in our fight against it,” she said.
She stressed that maternal and child health remains central to the interventions of the Golden Initiative for All (GIFA), the pet project of the First Lady’s Office, noting that future programmes under the initiative would continue to prioritize malaria prevention and broader healthcare interventions.
The First Lady designate urged residents to embrace preventive measures such as consistent use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, environmental sanitation and proper medical testing before treatment, cautioning against self-medication, particularly among pregnant women.
She also commended Governor Pastor Umo Eno for sustained investments in healthcare infrastructure, particularly the renovation of primary healthcare centres across the state, describing the facilities as critical to improving access to free and quality healthcare services.
Lady Obareki further lauded Ibom Air, development partners and non-governmental organisations for supporting malaria prevention efforts, especially the distribution of mosquito-treated nets to vulnerable communities.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Emmanuel Ekem John, warned that despite significant progress, malaria remains a serious public health challenge and continues to account for alarming mortality rates.
According to him, malaria kills more people than HIV and remains a major threat, particularly to pregnant women and children.
He urged parents and caregivers to seek prompt medical attention for children presenting with fever, stressing that early diagnosis and treatment save lives.
The Health Commissioner reiterated that malaria treatment and antenatal care services in government facilities are free, encouraging residents to report any hospital demanding payment through the Ministry of Health complaint channels.
Dr. John also used the occasion to promote routine immunization, urging residents to take advantage of African Vaccination Week, which runs from April 24 to April 30, while calling for collective action to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases, especially polio.
Adding a strong medical perspective to the campaign, popular health influencer and medical doctor, Egemba Chinonso Fidelis, widely known as Aproko Doctor, described malaria as a serious public health emergency that should never be trivialized.
He warned against assuming every fever is malaria without proper diagnosis and emphasized environmental hygiene as a critical line of defence.
“Malaria is real and it kills. No child under five or pregnant woman should die from malaria if the right preventive and treatment measures are taken,” he said.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ibom Air, Mr. George Uriesi, described the awareness walk as a practical demonstration of commitment to reducing malaria prevalence in the state.
He reaffirmed the airline’s support for public health interventions and called for sustained efforts to drive malaria-related deaths to the barest minimum.
Other stakeholders, including the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs. Inibehe Silas; Chairman, House Committee on Health, Mr. Moses Essien; President of WALGON, Mrs. Akaninyene Udo; Chairman of the State Waste Management Agency, Prince Akpan Ikim; Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nsikak Esenowo; and the World Health Organization representative, Grace Ireotoi, reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening partnerships and mobilizing grassroots support to curb malaria and other preventable diseases.
They emphasized that malaria affects everyone regardless of social status and urged communities to maintain clean environments while sustaining awareness campaigns across all local government areas.
The awareness walk, which commenced from Ibom Connection on Oron Road and terminated at the University of Uyo Permanent Site through Nwaniba Road, attracted a broad spectrum of participants including government officials, health workers, development partners, media practitioners and residents in a symbolic show of solidarity.
The event reinforced growing momentum in Akwa Ibom’s malaria eradication drive, with stakeholders insisting that through stronger partnerships, sustained awareness and community ownership, the state can move closer to a malaria-free future.
