The Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (APPMED) has declared that the majority of Nigerian families are feeling the devastating effects of malaria infection.
APPMED President, Reverend Kubiat Akpan, made the declaration during a public enlightenment campaign on malaria in Lagos.
Akpan, in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday, explained that as medicine dealers on the frontlines of healthcare delivery, they witness the toll of malaria on families every single day.
He described malaria as a public health challenge that requires the intervention of all and sundry, calling on individuals, groups and organisations to support the fight against the disease to reduce its prevalence to the barest minimum.
Akpan pledged that members of the association across the country would continue to strive to tackle the prevalence of malaria in the country.
“As medicine dealers on the frontlines of healthcare delivery across every ward and local government in Nigeria, we see the devastating impact of malaria on families every single day.
“When we align community health practitioners with the passion of our youth, malaria will have no hiding place in Nigeria.”
He said the fight against malaria cannot be left to government alone, stressing that patent medicine dealers, who are often the first point of contact in communities, have a critical role to play in early detection, appropriate referral and public education.
The APPMED President added that sustained awareness, youth engagement and community-based action remain key to winning the anti-malaria war.
The association recently endorsed the ongoing Geneith Health Competition, a N1 billion youth-driven malaria awareness campaign organised by CEOAFRICA and sponsored by Geneith Pharmaceuticals Limited, as part of its broader commitment to the national anti-malaria effort.
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