By ABEL JOHNGOLD ORHERUATA
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 (ACOMIN), has called on the government to implement effective recruitment and retention strategies to attract and retain skilled healthcare professionals, who are always available to provide quality malaria and health services.
The group made the call during their media brief for the State Media Meeting on the Global Fund Malaria Community Led Monitoring Project they are implementing held at Orchid Hotels yesterday in Asaba.
Reeling out the successes recorded by ACOMIN for the period under review, Sir Austin Uwede, the Delta State Program Officer of ACOMIN urged government to prioritize the health of its citizens by taking swift and decisive action to enhance waste management systems to ensure efficient and effective waste disposal to prevent malaria.
Uwede said to prevent mosquitoes bites, “all members of the public should ensure that their environments are well-kept and void of stagnant water, waste-forming receptacles for water, and open water storage containers around where mosquitoes can breed.
“Members of the public should come together to channel stagnant water and desilting drainages that are silted during this season.
“Members of the public particularly heads of households should ensure proper use of mosquito nets to protect family members from malaria and use protective clothing if they must sit outside at night”.
Frowning at those that are using the treated mosquito nets for fish and snail farming and bagging bottles instead of malaria prevention it was made for in her remarks, Dr. Julie Aniah of the State Ministry Health, charged ACOMIN to discourage pregnant women from patronizing traditional birth attendance (TBA) to avoid challenges that some of the TBAs were not scientifically skilled to prevent damages such as tears, jaundice and infectious tools.
Dr. Julie Aniah warned pregnant women to desist from patronizing Traditional Birth Attendance during anti-natal that the danger outweighed the financial cost of a normal hospital and that Primary Health Cares are free in the State.
Also speaking, the leader of the State Advocacy Team Pastor Greg Sifor, appealed to relevant stakeholders at all levels to support Community Based Organizations (CBOs) implementing project towards elimination of malaria, COVID 19, Tuberculosis, HIV AIDS in communities across the State.
He noted that Malaria is a serious disease that can be life-threatening that can be prevented and treated, but if not diagnosed and treated promptly, it can progress to a severe form that is often fatal. That malaria is not contagious and cannot be transmitted from person to person. It is spread by female mosquitoes of the Anopheles species.
“Unhygienic living conditions provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry malaria. In 2021, approximately 60 million Nigerians do not have access to clean water and safe sanitation facilities. This lack of basic amenities makes it difficult to maintain proper hygiene and dispose of waste appropriately, hindering efforts to eliminate malaria in Nigeria.
“When waste is not properly disposed of, it can block drains and cause flooding during heavy rainfall. These obstructions create stagnant pools of water, which become breeding habitats for disease- carrying mosquitoes. In addition, such conditions attract rodents and other animals that can also serve as hosts for malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
“To address the issue of unhygienic living conditions and prevent the spread of malaria, urgent action and collective effort from the public are needed. Sleeping under Insecticide-Treated Nets is crucial as they provide a physical barrier against mosquitoes, these nets are effective in reducing the risk of infection, especially for vulnerable groups like pregnant women and young children. Additionally.” Greg Sifor asserted.
While calling on the mass media to contribute to Nigeria’s goal of eliminating malaria by amplifying the following messages on behalf of ACOMIN, the leader of the State Advocacy Team disclosed that “As part of a national effort to address the challenges of Malaria in Nigeria, ACOMIN is working with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) on the ongoing Global Fund (GF) Malaria Grant, to continue implementing the civil society component. The grant is presently being implemented in the thirteen (13) GF-supported states namely Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, ligawa, Kwara, Niger, Taraba, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa, Ogun, Osun, and Delta States. The project covers 8 LGAS in each state. In Delta state, the selected LGAS are Aniocha South, Oshimili South, Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Isoko North, Ndokwa West, Sapele, and Patani.
“On the grant, ACOMIN is using the CLM approach to engage community stakeholders to take ownership of health interventions, particularly on malaria, to identify gaps hindering effective malaria service delivery and to jointly prioritize their needs and advocate for improvement in malaria healthcare delivery.
“This initiative has brought about many advantages to each of the communities/wards where the project is being implemented. These include increased ingenuity, innovation in tackling challenges, identifying and addressing the root cause of failed interventions; and enhanced accountability and ownership among others.”
He concluded by enumerating some of the recorded successes of ACOMIN like Donation of 30 Plastic chairs to Emevor PHC in Isoko North LGA by the community; Procurement and donation of routine antenatal drugs to the Ovrode PHC in Isoko North LGA by the Community; Procurement and donation of Beddings to Evwreni PHC in Ughelli North Korea LGA, by the community; Repalirs of weighing scale and deployment of security personnel at Etua PHC by Ndokwa West LGA.
Other successes recorded by ACOMIN includes Provision of concrete slab at Otogor PHC in Ughelli North LGA, by the community and Repairs of collapse plumbing system at Ekiugbo PHC, in Ugheli North LGA, by the community. Just to mention a few.
