The Civil Society for Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition has identified the dysfunctional state of health facilities as one of many obstacles hindering malaria eradication in the North and Nigeria as a whole.
The state Chairperson of the Civil Society for Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition, Hassana Maisanda, made the disclosure at a media meeting on Global Fund for Malaria Community-led Monitoring Project, where she listed population and access to quality healthcare as pivotal to its elimination.
Maisanda said, “The obstacles inhibiting malaria elimination in Nigeria include, but not limited to the political, social, and economic situations.”
She also mentioned that the larger society at both the political and economy levels plus the history, culture, and the social environment of a community and the people are among other factors that have severe impact on total eradication of the malaria scourge.
Continuing, the chairperson noted that the nature of the disease, plus the population’s health, and their ability to access quality healthcare which is very limited and dysfunctional with facilities, especially in places where the vulnerable population live equally pose major problems to proper and timely prevention and education on how best to keep malaria at bay.
Maisanda disclosed that Nigeria’s climatic condition of high temperatures and heavy rainfalls encourage mosquito breeding and malaria, as well as increase mosquito population and the transmission dynamics.
Therefore, she urged Gombe residents to embrace the use of Insecticide-Treated Nets.
“These conditions promote mosquito bites and malaria transmission year-round, especially to people living in swampy and unhygienic environments.
“To combat the increasing incidence and rate of malaria, urgent actions and collective effort from the public are necessary. The use of Insecticide-Treated Nets is crucial as they serve as physical barriers against mosquitoes, reducing the risk of infection, particularly for vulnerable,” Maisanda added.
She stressed that for Nigeria to progress in the control and elimination of malaria, it must implement a combination of measures that include mosquito avoidance, improved access to diagnostics and treatment, health education and promotion and community partnership, adding, “We therefore call on governments, private sector and other stakeholders, especially National Health Insurance programme enjoyed by the formal sector should be extended to other citizens of Nigeria, particularly the poor and most vulnerable.”
She maintained that, “The poor, often, are less educated and unemployed and consequently lack the ability to pay out-of-pocket for high costs associated with frequent illnesses.”
Also speaking, Programme Officer Samuel Chuwang, disclosed that the Community-led monitoring project would round off this month, but lauded that “the project has recorded tremendous success in the eight Local Government Areas of Gombe State and in 16 communities.”
He pointed out, “The project comes to an end this month. We are going into another phase of the project.”
On his part, Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation Officer of the Gombe State Malaria Elimination Programme, Ahmed Buba, informed Arewa PUNCH that prior to the 2020 budget, the state allocated N100,000 to combat malaria, adding that the current administration has shown more zeal in the fight against malaria.
He revealed, “Before 2020, the Gombe State Government was not committed, but now, things are different. N100,000 used to be on the budget, but now, for this year alone, the state has spent over N50m. So you see, there is better commitment on the part of the government, and because of this, Global Fund has asked that the state, alongside Kwara, become sub recipient. Before now, it was done by supporting partners.”
