The Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Muhammad Sama’ila-Mera, has pledged full support for the Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge (RHCC) to combat malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea in Kebbi State.
He made this commitment during a courtesy visit by the RHCC delegation, led by Country Lead Dr Dele Balogun, to his palace in Argungu on Monday, 18 August.
The RHCC is a three-year, $30 million initiative by Rotary International and PATH, targeting the top three killer diseases of children under five in Nigeria: malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea.
The project partners with the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Kebbi and Akwa Ibom State Governments, and local communities.
Addressing the delegation, the emir noted that the rainy season often brings a resurgence of mosquitoes, key agents of malaria and related diseases, but expressed confidence that RHCC’s intervention would control these illnesses.
He thanked the organisation for selecting Kebbi as one of only two benefiting states in Nigeria and for including his domain in the programme.
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“I want to assure you of our maximum support any day, anytime; we shall support your initiative to ensure that our communities get the needed medical aid to get better,” he said.
The emir added that he had met with imams and community leaders to ensure accurate information dissemination and instructed them to report any resistance.
Dr Dele Balogun, speaking to journalists after the engagement, expressed satisfaction with the large turnout of community members despite heavy rains, indicating their commitment to the initiative.
He noted that the engagement trained participants on managing malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia, with plans to extend the campaign across six selected local government areas in Kebbi to curb these diseases.
The District Head of Gulma, Alhaji Muhammad Bashar-Gulma, also a focal person for primary healthcare in Argungu Emirate, urged community leaders to take the campaign seriously to reduce the impact of these killer diseases.
Community leaders Alhaji Sa’adu Abdullahi-Gulma and Hajiya Zuwaira Musa assured RHCC and its partners of their dedication to the initiative, noting its potential to significantly reduce maternal mortality in their communities.