African Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF), has called on the federal government to redouble its commitments and prioritize investments in malaria prevention and control.
It emphasized the need for community engagement and sustained investment to combat the disease.
Executive Director of AYGF, Dr. Arome Salifu, disclosed this in Abuja, during a press briefing to commemorate 2024 World Malaria Day, said that malaria in pregnancy can cause severe anemia, maternal death, stillbirth, premature delivery, and low birth weight in babies.
He said: “Community needs are best addressed with the involvement of its members, soliciting for buy-in that ensures sustainability after intervention. We are calling on the government to prioritize investment in malaria programming and implementation in the country.
“We are aware that the government is doing a lot in partnering with donors, including the World Bank and others through the National Malaria Elimination Programme, to accelerate the process of reducing the impact of malaria. But the government also needs to do more to sustain the momentum.
He also noted that four out of five malaria-related deaths in the African region were among children under 5 years of age.
Salifu added, “Community needs are best addressed with the involvement of its members, soliciting for buy-in that ensures sustainability after intervention.
“These interventions can only be sustained when community members see the need and drive the course ‘ownership’ transcending in improved results long after the intervention has ended.
“Malaria is an ever-growing issue that will continue to affect and spread throughout Nigeria if measures are not put in place. Sensitization and awareness campaigns enlighten communities on healthy practices, bringing healthcare closer to the people to prevent malaria and reduce the prevalence of diseases in the country.
“Another approach is to improve access to health care among vulnerable communities through the delivery of affordable health care to hard-to-reach communities.
“In Nigeria a large part of the country currently falls in the low-income category of living making affordability of health care quite cumbersome. Therefore a need to adopt Universal Health Coverage (UHC) ensuring that all people access the full range of health care as needed without financial restraint.
“The change we seek in health care cannot be done alone, that is why as an organization we have identified the need for relevant partnerships that will spread the course of impact beyond communities to the country at large.
“As we join the rest of the world to commemorate World Malaria Day, let’s unite to ‘Accelerate the fight against malaria for a more equitable world.”
