Ondo, IHVN partner to combat malaria in pregnant women, children

On Dec 11, 2024

The Ondo State Government in collaboration with the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), in Abuja, launched the Immunisation and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) project.

The initiative is aimed at reducing mortality rates among pregnant women and children under five.

The World Bank-funded initiative seeks to promote the use of Long-Lasting Insecticide-Treated Nets (LLIN), and strengthen healthcare providers’ capacity to manage childhood diseases.

It also seeks to encourage preventive malaria treatments such as Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Pregnancy (IPTp) and Seasonal Malaria Chemoprophylaxis (SMC).

At the onboarding ceremony for community-based organisations (CBOs), Dr Folayan Abolaji, Ondo IMPACT Project Manager, said that the goal was to reduce under-five mortality in the state by 40 per cent.

Abolaji said that it would mean reducing under-five mortality from 15 to less than 10 deaths per 1,000 live births.

“This project aims to prevent maternal deaths and tackle the malaria burden by implementing multi-level interventions.

“While we have achieved excellent distribution of mosquito nets in the past, utilization remains a challenge.

“Through this programme, we aim to address this gap by engaging CBOs to improve usage,”Abolaji said.

Dr Temitope Kolade, Chief of Party for the IHVN IMPACT Project, highlighted the role of social behavior change communication in driving community acceptance and ownership of the initiative.

“We are working closely with community structures such as ward development committees and local government teams to ensure a grassroots impact,” Kolade said.

Chief Akomolafe Pius, a representative of Knowledge Care Providers, one of the participating CBOs, expressed confidence in the project’s potential for success.

“This training has equipped us with strategies for effective community engagement, ensuring that health-seeking behaviors are embraced at the grassroots level,” he said.