• Bill Gates
At least five hundred thousand children from Katsina State have been saved from the scourge of malaria by Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
The foundation achieved this feat of malaria prevention in the state through Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) Programme.
This was disclosed by Katsina State Director of Malaria and Sickle Cell disease Control, Dr Shamsudeen Yahaya, yesterday, during the end of project dissemination of SMC in the state.
As stated by Yahaya, prior to the intervention of the Gates Foundation, the incidence of malaria in the state was alarming “as there was high burden of the disease leading to high morbidity and mortality”.
He said the SMC programme which was implemented in four council areas of Baure, Mashi, Dutsi and Maiadua in the state, had tremendously reduced deaths resulting from malaria among children.
He, however, appealed for sustainability of the project so as to reduce the unacceptable morbidity and mortality associated with malaria.