By NAN

An award winning author, Mrs Funmilayo Braithwaite, has called on the Federal Government to take necessary measures to achieve a malaria-free country.

Braithwaite made the call on Monday in Abuja during the launch of her book, entitled “End Malaria”.

She said she was spurred to write the book by her concern for the number of people that had died from the scourge in Nigeria and Africa.

“I wrote the book, End Malaria, because I want to put an end to the number of people who have died from malaria.

“The book illustrates the causes, symptoms and preventive measures put in place to eliminate the disease.

“Malaria is very severe but we are nonchallant about it because we think it’s just malaria.

“In every two minutes, children die of malaria.

“So I want  people to know the symptoms of malaria and proper measures we can take to prevent it,” Braithwaite said.

She further said that there was need to educate children on proper hygiene method and also empower them with the requisite knowledge of the causes and preventive measures to take.

Also, Sen. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, said that malaria had shortened the lives of a lot of people, especially children in the country.

Oloriegbe said it was therefore necessary to provide adequate funding to the health sector.

He also underscored the need to invest more in pharmaceutical companies to manufacture malaria drugs to tackle the scourge.

“Malaria has taken a lot of lives. This is as a result of nonchalant attitudes of the people.

“Our people show less concern about their environment.

“They believe in superstition or think it is  spiritual without taking proper measures to eradicate the disease,” the lawmaker said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by the Turaki of Ilorin Emirate, Saliu Mustapha, as well as representatives of the World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Women Affairs, amongst others. (NAN)