Today is World Malaria Day, 2021.

#WorldMalariaDay is an international awareness day, observed annually every 25th of April, to highlight the global efforts in controlling Malaria and to encourage actions to reduce suffering and death from the disease.

It was instituted by WHO Member States during the World Health Assembly of 2007.

The theme for this year is, "Reaching the Zero Malaria Target".

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Statistically, malaria kills a child every 2 minutes; and this situation has worsened over time in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Let us continue to spread awareness today and going forward so that people living with malaria can find out ways to combat the illness and live healthy.

I salute the work done by government at all levels, including those of individual efforts through the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs). With converted efforts to combat malaria, no child should die as a result of inaccessible life-saving services to prevent, detect & treat the disease.

Reaching zero malaria is possible – Together we can #EndMalaria.

H.E. Barr. Chioma Uzodimma
First Lady, Imo State