Chevron/ NNPC JV Sponsors Roll Back Malaria in Delta Riverine Communities

By Sylvester Idowu in Warri

American oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), in collaboration with the Delta State government has kicked off the second leg of the Roll-Back-Malaria (RBM) campaign at Ode-Ugborodo Health Centre located at Aruntan-Ugborodo in Warri South-west Local Government Area of Delta State.

The campaign involved free malaria tests for people, distribution of insecticide-treated nets and waste management bins to selected households and community health and environmental education centres.

The beneficiaries, comprising women, children, youths and the aged from Madangho and other neighbouring Itsekiri communities, were also given free drugs.

The event, which is a continuation of the RBM campaign that earlier held on June 7, 2019, at Tsekelewu community and environs in Warri North Local Government area was implemented by a nongovernmental organisation, the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (RAPA).

Members of the WRAPA team included a medical doctor, nurses, laboratory technologists and social workers.

Chairman of Warri South-west Local Government Area, Mr Taiye Tuoyo, lauded NNPC/Chevron JV for coming to the aide of the rural folks at a time the rains are coming more heavily and mosquitoes breeding everywhere.

Tuoyo, who was represented by the Supervisor for Health, Warri South-west, Emami Harriman and Councillor from Ajudaibo Ward, Honorable Ernest Menewe, described the exercise as wonderful.

“It’s a good initiative that NNPC and Chevron brought this to the community, and we appreciate it so much because malaria has been an epidemic in this environment.

“It’s wonderful. It’s a way of letting the community know that we care for them. I believe that they will no longer have that mentality that health care is about money,” they noted.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Bose Ajakaye, who said none of her children tested positive to the malaria parasite, expressed gratitude to NNPC/Chevron JV for coming over to help them tackle the scourge of malaria in the swampy creeks.