Progress on Malaria Eradication Still Low, Says ACOMIN

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Civil Society in Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN), a coordinating network of civil societies groups involved in monitoring and ensuring accountability in the fight against malaria in Nigeria, has said that very limited progress has been made despite efforts and investments put in by the federal government and donor agencies.

It said that according to the report of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria still has the highest rate of malaria cases in the world, adding that the world malaria report 2019 puts Nigeria’s malaria prevalence at 25 per cent of global cases.

While presenting its report of the group to the media recently, the National Coordinator of ACOMIN, Mr. Ayo Ipinmoye said that in spite of the massive financial, material and human outlays, there was still much to be done to keep malaria at bay. “The fight against the problems and challenges that malaria poses is yet to be won”, he said.

Ipinmoye said that National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) were the main recipients of the funding assistance from the Global Fund (GF) playing coordinating roles, while Malaria Consortium (MC), Management Services for Health (MSH) Society for Family Health (SFH) are sub-recepients engaged in direct implementation of the anti-malaria programmes in 13 states presently supported by the Global Fund.

On its part, Ipinmoye explained that ACOMIN was implementing the aspect of the GF grant that has to do with the community accountability project along with state governments and local government councils.

So far, Ipinmoye said the project has been able to demonstrate that with sustained engagement, distinct possibilities of improved service provision can be achieved.

He said that ACOMIN activities have succeeded in awakening the consciousness of the communities to the need for involvement in shaping their own health outcomes.

Speaking on the performance of the country in the fight against malaria scourge, Ipinmpye said: “We have seen more and more participation by communities and government at the local level.

“Unlike in the past when local people feel divested from the various health programmes, what is happening now is that there is now a sense of ownership and people are continually identifying with the interventions as one their own.”