The Federal Government of Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to eliminating malaria as a top priority under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, emphasizing its socio-economic importance.
The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this during a courtesy visit by a Malaria Consortium team led by Dr. Nnenna Ogbulafor, National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP).
Dr. Salako highlighted the government’s Sector Wide Approach (SWAp), a framework promoting collaboration between federal and sub-national governments to enhance healthcare delivery.
He explained that this initiative enables the Ministry to track annual operational plans at the state level under a unified healthcare policy.
In a statement by the Deputy Director, Information & Public Relations Alaba Balogun, Dr. Salako also emphasized the importance of the digital health initiative, which is creating a centralized health data repository.
“It is a nationwide initiative to digitalize our healthcare system at all levels, primary, secondary, and tertiary,” he added.
The Minister commended the Malaria Consortium for its positive feedback on the government’s efforts, particularly the impact of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund. He noted that the fund, which covers malaria, has been reorganized to ensure more regular disbursements.
Dr. Salako acknowledged Malaria Consortium’s role as a critical partner in Nigeria’s fight against malaria, describing it as a global leader in tackling malaria-related challenges. He assured the organization of continued collaboration and support.
The Director of Programmes at Malaria Consortium, Dr. Kolawole Maxwell, shared insights from research and assessments conducted in northern and southern Nigeria.
He highlighted their innovative approaches to improving malaria case management and increasing the use of mosquito nets.
Dr. Maxwell revealed that the organization works with stakeholders to identify barriers to net usage and designs solutions to address these issues.
He stressed the importance of collaboration to achieve sustainable results in malaria elimination efforts.
The Honourable Minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting the Malaria Consortium’s mandate and leveraging its independent assessments to strengthen healthcare systems across the country.
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