A malaria elimination program, ‘Malaria Consortium’ has kicked off a State-Level of Planning for the 2023 implementation of the malaria project in Nasarawa state.
The planning brought stakeholders together in Lafia the Nasarawa State capital to brainstorm on the challenges faced during the program in the previous year.
The stakeholders in the malaria elimination program also provided and preferred possible solutions to ensure significant improvement in the program in 2023.
Declaring the program open, the State Commissioner for Health, Pharm. Ahmed Yahaya said the planning was focused on providing orientation for stakeholders in the state, especially on SMC projects, and how the program would be rolled out throughout the year without hindrances.
The Commissioner, represented by the Chief Medical Director of, the Hospital Management Board, Dr. Edego Egba said “We know this is the third year that Nasarawa states will be implementing Seasonal malaria chemoprevention in the states and then to also harmonize and share on the spending on the rollouts”.
He pointed out that “Through this planning, we got to know some of the achievements. We’ve recorded it in the past because as well as we are aware of and have participated once, this should be the third round. I strongly believe that this round will certainly be better than the last round, as expected that lessons learned will continue to be learned. We learned as we move from circle to circle”.
Pharm. Yahaya noted that the ministry would continue to support every program that would improve the quality of health of the people in line with Governor Abdullahi Sule’s Administration which has placed a high priority on the health sector.
“That is why, in the last budget, health was given 14% of the total budget.
And he has made the environment so conducive for a lot of donor partners”, the commissioner added
Speaking, the Director of Public Health, at the state Ministry of Health, Lafia, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu, said malaria has continued to be the leading cause of childhood illness and death in most communities across the state hence the need for concerted efforts to change the narrative.
Represented by the Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr. Liman Muhammad, The Director stated that all strategies targeted towards the elimination of malaria will continue to be accepted so long as the means will ill provide significant results.
Presenting the Overview of the 2023 SMC, work plan, the State Zonal Program Manager, Hajia Hafsat Baba, explained that “the 2023 plan for Malaria Consortium as an organization, has a mission which is to improve lives of Africa and Asia through a sustainable evidence-based program that combat targeted disease and promote child and health and maternal health”.
“Seasonal malaria chemo-prevention SMC who recommended Initiative is a campaign to eradicate malaria among those under five in Sahel areas.”
“SMC is a combination of two anti-malarial drugs that are given to eligible children that we might mention earlier three months to 59 months old during the peak transition season to prevent malaria”,
Hajia Baba said SMC was ready to employ about 10,897 personnel to work for the 2023 round of the program.
