By Mariama B. Bah
FREETOWN, SEPTEMBER 3rd, (232News) Residents of Funkia have expressed their happiness over the way government and her partners are tackling the fight against Malaria amidst the Covid Pandemic.
Funkia is one of the most populated slum communities which has been known for its fishing activity for decades.
Malaria has been described as a life threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female anopheles mosquitoes and it is preventable and curable.
Councilor of Constituency 109, Mohamed Mansaray aka D Guy said that he was happy with the pace at which the ministry of Health and Sanitation and its partners were going in trying to tackle malaria in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic.
He noted that malaria is widespread in Sierra Leone and the entire population is at risk of the disease, wherein it remains one of the leading causes of illness and deaths among children and pregnant women.
He explained that malaria cases remain high in Freetown particular in areas with poor sanitation such as slum communities and informal settlements.
He added that residents of Funkia are happy with the long- lasting insecticide treated bed nets distribution distributed to them because it has help to prevent them of get in contact with the deadly malaria disease.
Councilor Mansaray noted that they were excited about the bed nets distribution in their community because it is difficult for other hard to reach areas to get access to the treated bed net.
He noted that malaria is a curable disease but yet millions of people around the world suffer every year. He encouraged individual, families and communities to adapt to corrective measures in order to improve good sanitation and consistent use of treated bed net among other.
Councilor Mansaray said that malaria treatments is free in all public health hospital and he encouraged every Sierra Leonean that are sick to go to the nearest hospital instead of staying at home and be taking different type of medicine that will not be of use to their health.
Mabinty Kamara a mother of five children said they are happy for the bed net distribution that the government brought to their door step because the nets that were using was very old, so they are happy for the intervention of the government in order to distribution bed net which was very timely.
She added since they started using bed nets for the past eight years it has reduce the rate at which they get in contact with malaria disease.
She advised that everyone should clean their surrounding so that we will be free from malaria and any other kind of diseases that is not good for their health.
She added said that everyone should join hands in the fight against malaria so that the country will be zero malaria free come 2021.
