‘COVID-19 Led to 80% Decline in  Leading Disease Areas Uptake’

Kate Ejisu

The Team Leader, Association of Civil Society on Malaria Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN), Bunmi Tejumola, has revealed that the impact of the COVID-19 witnessed across all disease areas led to a 70-80 per cent decline in service uptake.

Tejumola, who disclosed this at a  media briefing in Lagos organised by ACOMIN said the national Tuberculosis programme also recorded a 30 per cent reduction in geneXpert testing in the first weeks of COVID-19 lockdown during the first wave.

She said in the same vein routine malaria diagnosis and treatment access were  disrupted, and the implementation of the Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS) and the Therapeutic Efficacy Studies (TES) were also halted.

She remarked that the impact of COVID-19 on HIV, Tuberculosis, or malaria could be minimised by maintaining these core services.

Tejumola further explained that a recent report from Global Fund highlighted the urgent need to scale up adaptive measures to continue HIV, TB and malaria services, to ramp up delivery of critical supplies for the COVID-19 response and prevent healthcare system from collapse.

According to her, “As part of a national effort to address the challenges in Nigeria, ACOMIN alongside NEPWHAN and TB Network have been engaged by NACA under the ongoing Global Fund (GF) COVID-19 RM/RSSH Grant to implement the civil society component.” 

“The implementation of the grant has started in 18 GF supported States namely Ogun, Delta, Ekitui, Lagos, Cross River, River, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Edo, Anambra, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kwara, Ondo and Oyo States. The project covers five LGAs in each state. In Lagos state, the selected LGAs are Ikorodu, Alimosho, Mushin, Shomolu, and Eti osa respectively.

“The C19RM component of the grant is aimed at supporting the efforts at preventing, treating and strengthening systems on COVID-19 contaiment as well as preparedness for future pandemics. It seeks to address gaps in the system and infrastructure through strategic interventions so as to ensure efficient and effective health outcomes. It will also integrate the responses of health system, communities and CSOs to COVID-19, such that all will contribute their respective quota in achieving the desired results across the States of implementation.

“The RSSH component will contribute to making foundational changes by strengthening the health systems in Nigeria through targeted interventions that support the federal government to set policies, strategies, and standards as well as plan, monitor, and review progress against those standards; governance and planning reforms that align with national policies, standards and strategies to drive sustainable improvement to maximise impact on ATM (AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria) and other diseases.”