Health and environmental experts have called on Nigerians to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and maintain clean surroundings to help prevent malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.
The experts made the call on Friday during a medical outreach organised by Greenbox Facilities Limited in Gosa Community, Federal Capital Territory, to mark the 2026 World Mosquito Day, observed annually on August 20.
The third edition of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility outreach included malaria testing, HIV screening, Hepatitis B and C tests, as well as the distribution of mosquito nets and food items to residents.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Greenbox Facilities Limited, Bamidele Abiru, stressed that environmental cleanliness was essential to reducing mosquito breeding and malaria transmission.
He urged residents to remove stagnant water, clear overgrown vegetation and keep their surroundings clean.
Abiru said the initiative was aimed at supporting communities within the company’s areas of operation and complementing government efforts to combat malaria.
He noted that mosquitoes remain among the deadliest killers of humans, adding that between 600,000 and 700,000 people die from malaria annually in sub-Saharan Africa.
According to him, about 500 households benefited from the outreach.
He also appealed to individuals and organisations to support vulnerable communities through Corporate Social Responsibility programmes, noting that government alone could not solve all societal challenges.
The Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Nnena Ogbulafor, also urged Nigerians to keep their environments free of mosquito breeding sites.
Represented by Henry Odume, Assistant Chief Scientific Officer under the Integrated Vector Management Unit, Ogbulafor said malaria prevalence in the FCT fell from 18.8 per cent in 2021 to 7.9 per cent in 2025.
She attributed the decline to sustained interventions by the NMEP, including the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and other malaria prevention programmes.
Ogbulafor said more than 320 million insecticide-treated nets had been distributed to households across Nigeria, while over 450 million doses of Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine plus Amodiaquine had been administered to children under five to prevent malaria.
She added that Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention in northern states and Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention in high-transmission areas were also helping to reduce malaria cases.
Environmental Health Officer Joseph Nor said maintaining a healthy environment was the responsibility of every resident and urged Nigerians not to wait for government intervention before cleaning their surroundings.
Public health expert Nurse Olaitan Ayodeji-Ojo advised residents to seek medical attention promptly whenever they become ill. She also urged parents to take sick children to health facilities and encouraged pregnant women to register early for antenatal care.
One of the beneficiaries, Happiness Mika, thanked the organisers and promised to continue using the mosquito net she received.
As part of the World Mosquito Day activities, organisers and volunteers also cleaned and fumigated parts of the community and cleared blocked drainage channels.
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