Nigeria Expresses Readiness to Malaria Elimination

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The Honourable Minister of State for Health & Social Welfare Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako addressing the delegation of Malaria Consortium Inc. Led by (on his right) Dr. Nnenna Ogbulafor, National Coordinator, National Malaria Elimination Programme(NMEP); (on his right) Prof. Mbacham Fon Wilfred, Chairman Board of Trustees, Malaria Consortium & Dr. Kolawole Maxwell, Director Programme Malaria Consortium.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare has reiterated the government’s readiness to eliminate malaria, a plan he described as prime in the agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, and in recognition of its socioeconomic importance.

Dr. Iziaq Salako, while hosting a Malaria Consortium team, led by Dr. Nnenna Ogbulafor, National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), explained the gains in government’s efforts to eliminate malaria through its Sector Wide Approach ( SWAp) initiative that promotes collaboration between the Federal Government and its sub-national Governments.

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This approach, he said, enabled the Ministry to track annual operations and implementation plans at state levels with a one voice one direction healthcare policy.

Supporting this SWAp initiative, the minister pointed out that the adoption of digital in health initiative, has been very critical to creating a central repository centre where information around health data can be accessed.

“We have the digital in health initiative, a nationwide initiative to digitalize our system at all levels of healthcare; primary, secondary and tertiary”; the Minister was quoted in a statement released by the health ministry.

Dr. Salako commended the positive feedbacks from Malaria Consortium affirming these efforts by the government at the state levels. He further highlighted the impact of Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.

“The Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, I believe, covers malaria. And in this Government, the management of that fund has been reorganised. We are making the funds available regularly and I want to assure you that as a country, we will continue to cherish and support Malaria Consortium to deliver on your mandate, he said.

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“I will continue to value the feedback from your own independent assessment of the implementation, effectiveness and the impact that these programs are making in our communities”, Dr. Salako further stated.

Recognising Malaria Consortium as a global brand in addressing challenges around malaria particularly in a country like Nigeria; the Honourable Minister said the Ministry valued its crucial role as a partner and collaborator in its agenda to eliminate malaria.

Director, Programme Malaria Consortium, Dr. Kolawole Maxwell appraised the Honourable Minister on outcome of its research on malaria cum assessment visits to both Northern and Southern parts of the country.

Highlighting the importance of collaboration between its Organization and stakeholders in Kano and Osun States; Dr. Maxwell reported the efficacy of using different approaches of research and methodology in malaria case management to achieve results.

“We are working with stakeholders to understand what are the incentives and barriers for use of nets. That is the first phase. The second phase is we are working with them to now use those findings to create what we call prototypes of solutions”, he further stated.

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