To Eradicate Malaria, ACOMIN Seeks Aggressive Media Support

As part of its ongoing efforts to eradicate malaria in Nigeria, especially in Kaduna state, the Network of Civil Society in Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition (ACOMIN) is seeking the support of aggressive media organizations.

Ogidi Nicodemus, the Kaduna State Program Officer for ACOMIN, had made the appeal during ACOMIN’s bi-annual media interactive session on the Global Fund malaria project that was held at a hotel in Barnawa, Kaduna, Kaduna State.

According to Mr. Nicodemus, ever since 2019, Nigeria has recorded the highest number of global malaria cases (which puts it at 23% of global malaria cases) and has accounted for the highest number of deaths (which also puts it at 23% of global malaria deaths). He futher added, that out of the concerning malaria prevalence data in Nigeria, pregnant women and young children who are under the age of 5 years old are the most vulnerable to malaria – usually that comes with severe symptoms and outcomes such as miscarriage, intrauterine demise, premature delivery, low birth weight in new-born babies and national deaths.

Therefore, it is highly pertinent that the media organisations and media practitioners join the efforts of the civil society organisations, development partners and government, especially in the area of media advocacy, education and the sensitisation of locals on malaria prevention to change the narratives.

Read Also: Malaria: ACOMIN Pleads For An Improved Resistance

ACOMIN, specifically, wants the help of media organisations and media practitioners in advocating for the full implementation of budgetary allocations to malaria, increase the budgetary allocation to malaria and to educate the public on the need to assimilate malaria prevention practices as a lifestyle among others.

Halima Shehu, the Desk Officer, Malaria, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, has also stated that the state government was doing a lot to eradicate malaria in the state with the support of development partners and civil society organisations.

According to her, “we have a lot of activities developed to ensure that we eliminate malaria in Kaduna state. For example, we are distributing malaria commodities to health facilities to diagnose and treat those with confirmed malaria cases in these facilities. In collaboration with other partners, we are into seasonal prevention campaigns targeting children from three months to 59 months. They suppose to receive what we call ‘spark’ for five cycles to prevent them from getting malaria.

“For the pregnant women, we have what we call routine malaria intervention where we give them insecticide-treated mosquito nets and SP to prevent them from getting malaria. Based on the report we analysed last year, we have decreased in the number of malaria among the children that receive the intervention and pregnant women that used their net and other malaria commodities effectively.”