A Civil Society in Malaria control, Immunization and Nutrition, ACOMIN in Adamawa State had a media brief on the global fund malaria community-led monitoring project being implemented to mark the 2023 world Malaria day.
Martins Matanga, ACOMIN Adamawa State Coordinator in his opening speech praised Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on the Malaria project in the Adamawa under the watch of ACOMIN appreciated Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri for providing the needed enabling environment for the team to succeed.
Extolled Ahmadu to have provided free medical facilities and commodities in many Adamawa communities, Upgraded cottage hospitals across the state to its best standard.
Mr Atanga reiterated that ACOMIN is doing the best in creating awareness on how to take adequate balanced diet, control the spread of Malaria and taking of immunization.
ACOMIN State programme officer, Mrs Lauretta Charles while reading the 2023 score card of the organization to media men in Yola said they are approaching the fight against malaria through community-centered initiatives, such as the Community-led Monitoring project being implemented by ACOMIN.
She said the implementation brought many advantages to include increased ingenuity, flexibility tackling challenges by identifying and addressing the root cause of failed interventions; and enhanced accountability among others.
The message she passed across to journalists and all other stakeholders in attendance was that ACOMIN is Promoting and celebrating community contributions to health in the light of the recently commemorated world Malaria Day and beyond.
According to her In 2020, nearly half of the world’s population was at risk of malaria, Some population groups are at considerably higher risk of contracting malaria and developing severe disease
“Infants, children under 5 years of age, pregnant women and patients with HIV/AIDS, as well as people with low immunity moving to areas with intense malaria transmission such as migrant workers, mobile populations and travelers. Similarly, according to the Honorable Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, malaria is still a major public health challenge in Nigeria.
“As part of a national effort to address the challenges of Malaria in Nigeria, ACOMIN has been re-engaged by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) under the ongoing Global Fund (GF) Malaria Grant to continue implementing the civil society component, having successfully done this from 2019 to 2020. The grant is presently being implemented in the thirteen (13) GF supported states namely Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, Taraba, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa, Ogun, Osun and Delta States. The project covers 8 LGAs in each state. In Adamawa state, the selected LGAs are Yola North, Girei, Song, Mubi South, Mayo Belwa, Ganye, Maiha and Numan.
“The National Malaria Strategic Plan (2014 – 2020) presented a very determined plan to commence a transition from malaria control to malaria elimination. The initiatives that have been deployed to fight malaria in Nigeria include but are not limited to the provision of free Long-Lasting Insecticide-treated Nets (LLINs), deployment of volunteers to carry out Interpersonal Communication at the grassroots level, provision of free malaria test kits and medicines at some health facilities and Community-led Monitoring to ensure accountability in malaria interventions. Despite all these, it is no longer news that Nigeria still has a long way to go to achieve control of this deadly disease due to certain challenges confronting malaria intervention”. She said
She however worried that the organization 8s constantly encountering challenges which are not limited to the following:
” Increased difficulty in accessing hard-to-reach communities due to insecurity ravaging many parts of the country, Drug resistance by the malaria parasite, Non consideration of Persons Living with disability in construction of facilities across the state, Inadequate human resource in the health sector especially female health workers.
“Laps in record-keeping and documentation in different sector of the Primary Health Care Centers especially the daily malaria consumption register and Non existence of specific budget line for malaria at Local Government Area across the state.”
She continued to say that ACOMIN has successfully achieve the following:
“Mass increase in awareness of free Global Fund Malaria commodities and services in implementing Local Government and the state at large.
“Increased community ownership of Community-Led Monitoring project and other health intervention in facilities.
“Integration of District Heads, traditional title holders and other community stakeholders into project awareness programs.”
They recommended that the mass media to contribute to Nigeria’s goal of eliminating malaria by advocating for the that all government ministries and agencies should include or scale-up community-centric initiatives in their programs. And Donors should increase their support for community-centric initiatives.
