The Anambra government has earmarked N100 million for malaria control and elimination programmes in the state 2020 budget.
State Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala, who made this known on Thursday in Awka, said there was need to increase domestic financing to drive malaria control and elimination.
Okpala said the amount budgeted in 2019 was not enough to address malaria burden in the state.
“This prompted the budget increase to N100 million to ensure Anambra is free of malaria,’’ he said.
Okpala said if the N6.9 billion budget for health in the 2020 budget proposal was approved, there would be massive transformation in the healthcare system in the state.
An analysis of the state budget for some health programnes in 2020 showed that N100 million would be spent on HIV/AIDS control programme.
It also budgeted N400 million for the rehabilitation and re-equipment of general hospitals and N60 million for the construction and equipment of the Anambra state centre for disease control to be located in Achalla.
The sum of N50 million was budgeted for the construction of illicit drug rehabilitation centre, N50 million for family planning programmes and N20 million for zero hepatitis programme.
