{"id":839,"date":"2026-07-12T14:21:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T13:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=839"},"modified":"2026-07-12T14:21:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T13:21:08","slug":"physician-harps-on-proper-hygiene-as-varsity-health-centre-records-increased-malaria-incidence-among-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=839","title":{"rendered":"Physician Harps On Proper Hygiene As Varsity Health Centre Records Increased Malaria Incidence Among Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By<\/strong> Isabella<\/strong> Awana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Delta State University (DELSU) Health Centre, Abraka, has recorded an increase in malaria cases among students, with an average of 50 patients seeking medical attention daily, according to Dr. Mis Denedo, a medical doctor at the university health centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Denedo disclosed this during an interview, stating that malaria remains the most frequently diagnosed illness among students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She explained that, alongside malaria, peptic ulcer disease is another common health condition treated at the facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Dr. Denedo, the health centre receives approximately 50 patients each day, with the majority presenting symptoms of malaria and other common ailments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the rise in malaria cases, she assured that there have been no recent documented outbreaks of communicable diseases within the university or the Abraka community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She attributed the high prevalence of malaria to poor environmental sanitation, stagnant water around residential areas, and inadequate preventive health practices, which create favourable breeding grounds for mosquitoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To address the situation, Dr. Denedo said the health centre has intensified its health education campaigns to promote environmental cleanliness, personal hygiene, and effective malaria prevention among students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe regularly educate students on the importance of maintaining clean surroundings, eliminating stagnant water, and seeking prompt medical attention whenever they experience symptoms of malaria,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She advised students to keep their surroundings clean, clear blocked drains, eliminate stagnant water, sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets where possible, and report to the health centre immediately if they develop symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, or body weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking on the challenges facing the health facility, Dr. Denedo revealed that the health centre continues to grapple with inadequate staffing, insufficient medical supplies, and the need for continuous staff training and professional development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need more medical personnel and an adequate supply of essential medicines to improve healthcare delivery,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere a patient\u2019s condition is beyond the capacity of the university health centre, we provide initial treatment before referring the patient to a more specialized hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added that although treatment at the health centre is generally prompt, the large number of patients during peak periods sometimes results in delays, causing impatience among some students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She therefore encouraged students to familiarize themselves with the operational procedures of the health centre to facilitate smoother access to healthcare services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Denedo explained that the university health centre operates from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, while emergency cases are attended to outside normal working hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She emphasized the need for continuous orientation programmes to educate students on the healthcare services available and the proper procedures for accessing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She further disclosed that the Vice-Chancellor of Delta State University has continued to support the health centre by providing funding for its operations and working towards improving healthcare delivery on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, she stressed that increased funding, improved medical facilities, adequate staffing, and a regular supply of essential medicines remain necessary to meet the growing healthcare needs of the university community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some students who spoke with this reporter acknowledged that malaria is one of the most common illnesses affecting undergraduates, particularly during the rainy season when mosquito breeding increases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They called on the university management to intensify environmental sanitation around hostels, lecture halls, and other parts of the campus, while also expanding health awareness campaigns on malaria prevention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health professionals also advised students to avoid self-medication, maintain good personal hygiene, eliminate mosquito breeding sites around their residences, and seek medical attention promptly whenever they experience symptoms of malaria or any other illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early diagnosis and treatment, they noted, remain critical to preventing complications and reducing the burden of the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The increasing number of malaria cases recorded at the DELSU Health Centre highlights the need for stronger collaboration between the university management, healthcare professionals, and students in promoting a healthier campus environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through improved sanitation, sustained health education, adequate medical resources, and responsible health practices, stakeholders believe the burden of malaria can be significantly reduced, ensuring a healthier and more productive university community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Isabella Awana The Delta State University (DELSU) Health Centre, Abraka, has recorded an increase in malaria cases among students, with an average of 50 patients seeking medical attention daily, according to Dr. Mis Denedo, a medical doctor at the university health centre. Dr. Denedo disclosed this during an interview, stating that malaria remains the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":841,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[33,201],"class_list":["post-839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trendingnews","tag-health","tag-malaria"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=839"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":842,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/839\/revisions\/842"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}