By Rasheed Akinkuolie
Microsoft Founder Bill Gates has through the Bill and Melinda Gates polio vaccination program succeeded in eradicating the crippling polio disease in Nigeria.
This program and others have been of great help in tackling several serious health problems in Africa. However, a constant evaluation of the global social impact of these interventions is necessary to avoid throwing valuable money at the problems without commensurate benefits.
According to research findings, a Nigerian child is likely to die from malaria, diarrhea, water borne diseases or malnutrition before the age of five. In essence the vaccinations or any other intervention is of little benefit , if the child is most likely to die from other causes before the age of five.
This is where the challenge of priority comes into play. Malaria and water borne diseases account for over 80 % of infant mortalities in Nigeria, which is about 200,000 preventable deaths a year. The stake holders Viz: WHO, UNICEF, government and other philanthropic organizations should tackle these deadly diseases simultaneously along with others, without which the current programs would be of little benefit.
The Malaria eradication project should top the list of both government and philanthropic interventions, without prejudice to other programs. The anti malaria campaigns have so far not achieved the set objectives because the root cause of the problem is not being addressed.
Half a century ago, Malaria was endemic in tropical and developing countries and it accounted for over two million deaths a year. The solution to this epidemic was found in DDT, a toxic chemical which was used to destroy mosquitos in their breeding colonies.
This method was discarded because of the harmful effects on the environment. An alternative method was developed which targeted the reproductive cycle of the female anopheles mosquito at the larvae stage, such that young mosquitos are not produced and the colony would gradually go into extinction.
Brazil, South American and Caribbean countries have used this simple, nontoxic larvicide technique to curb malaria in their countries. Bacillus Thurengensis Spaericus (BTS) and Bacillus Thurengensis Israeliensis (BTI) are cultured bacteria which feed on mosquito larvae in swamps, stagnant waters and other breeding grounds, thus disrupting the mosquito reproductive cycle.
The second method is similar to the first, but involves introducing sterilized male mosquitoes into the wild in malaria endemic areas. The sterile males with the loss of the competence to fertilize the female eggs result in gradual depopulation of the colony.
Incidentally, the BTS was discovered at Nigeria’s Institute of Trypanosomiasis in Kaduna during the research to control tse tse flies and sleeping sickness disease in Nigeria. The BTI was on the other hand discovered at the Negev desert in Israel to control mosquitos and farm pests.
Vietnam, Cuba, India, China have developed the two methods and exported the technology world wide to fight malaria. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria through its Trade and Investment Department had in 2005 brought to Nigeria, a medical technical team from Cuba to join the fight against malaria with the BTS and BTI larvicides technology.
The project took off with great enthusiasm and expectations and the government of Rivers State showed special interest by importing some quantities of the larvicides, with plans to build the production plant in Nigeria. The project collapsed as a result of extensive bureaucratic processes and protocols, and the Cuban team had to leave after ten years of wasted efforts and time.
This rare opportunity was lost and the fight against malaria continues. And there is no tangible plan, other than the lamentations at conferences, seminars and talk shops about the statistics of deaths from a disease which had for long been contained in other countries.
In the past 10 years, over two million people must have died from malaria and over half a billion USD spent on drugs and man hour work losses as a result of malaria attacks.
The philanthropic organizations should in this regard take greater interest in the anti malaria war, and other projects such as rural water schemes which would have direct impact on the communities. Such projects would strengthen public confidence in the polio eradication scheme which have been resisted in some communities due to ignorance.
The Nigerian government should through the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs revive the mosquito control program with the BTS and BTI larvicide technology because of the recorded successes in the war against malaria.
• Ambassador Akinkuolie Rasheed was the Director of Trade and Investments, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. akinkuolie.rasheed@gmail.com