Comrade Yusuf Mohammed, programme Manager, Kaduna state malaria elimination program from the State Ministry of health has disclosed that the Global Fund Malaria Accountability and Advocacy Project has concluded plans to distribute 5.2 million treated mosquito nets as part of efforts in the elimination of malaria in the state.
The CSOs under this grant are focused on Accountability and Advocacy, and this will be implemented in the thirteen GF Malaria States which include Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, Taraba, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa, Ogun, Osun and Delta States.
Comrade Mohammed made the disclosure during a focus Media discussions program organized by ACOMIN who is implementing the global Fund accountability and advocacy project on malaria eradication in the 13 states.
The program is aimed at sensitizing the media and other stakeholders on the project, challenges, strategies and solutions and also for the media to assist in the quest for increased funding for malaria intervention in the State and Nigeria at large.
He tasked participants on the need to educate the community members on the importance of sleeping under treated mosquitoe net, adding that it is safer to always go for laboratory test before receiving any treatment.
The director disease prevention and control, Aliyu Zakari Aminu on his part, tasked the health workers to make sure that people at the grassroot understands the prevention of malaria and the need to sleep under treated mosquito net.
Kaduna State technical Officer malaria consortium,Dr Firima Augustine during his presentation said that the medical workers should first test fever before treatment, to also provide adequate information to ensure effective use and prevention of malaria.
The National coordinator ACOMIN, Ayo Ipinmoye urged the traditional leaders to monitor community members to make sure that they make good use of the treated mosquito net and not for fishing as some do in most cases.
He said, ACOMIN is the National Network of Civil Society Organizations working on the prevention, treatment and mitigation of the impact of malaria, and the promotion of immunization and better nutrition in Nigeria.
Speaking also, Kaduna State program officer ACOMIN, Mr Nicodemus Ogidi reiterated that Malaria is a major public health problem in Nigeria and has the highest out of fifteen countries who accounted for 80% of global malaria deaths in 2016.
“Malaria is a risk for 97% of Nigeria’s population, of which under-5 children and pregnant women are the most vulnerable. In Nigeria, Malaria illnesses occurs all through the year, affects everybody, but children under 5years and pregnant women are mostly at risk (97%).
He said, although Malaria has a significant impact on the people and economy of Nigeria, it is treatable, preventable and curatorial, hence with concerted efforts, no child, pregnant woman or adult should be allowed to die of malaria ever again, adding that strategic intervention efforts in place to help reduce malaria burden.
“If the fight to eliminate malaria in Nigeria would succeed, significant funding needs to be dedicated towards the efforts. In this regard, Nigeria recently renewed its funding commitments, pledging to make malaria an issue of national priority.
Global Fund for ATM is currently running a grant for Malaria for a three-year period 2018 – 2020. The Grant is being implemented through a Consortium that is led by Catholic Relief Services and has as members of the Consortium – The Malaria Consortium, Management Sciences for Health and Society for Family Health.
Global Fund is currently funding malaria interventions in thirteen states. Other partners are The Malaria Presidential Initiative, also working in thirteen states whilst efforts are in progress to bring on board, a Consortium of the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and African Development Bank to help cover the gaps in malaria financing in Nigeria.
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