By Gabriel Udeh, Kaduna
Association of Civil Society for Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition, (ACOMIN) Kaduna State Chapter, has called on Kaduna State Government to increase workforce for health facilities to enable the State win the war against malaria related illness in the state.
State’s Program Officer, Kaduna State Chapter, Mr. Ogidi Nicodemus, made the call during the State Media Meeting, held at the Access International Hotel, on Wednesday, in Kaduna State.
According to him, there is inadequate manpower to boost the health sector which has led to the increase in malaria ailments from time to time.
He said the Global fund for ATM ran a successful grant for malaria, from 2019 to 2020, adding that the grant is being implemented through a consortium that is led by the Catholic Relief Services.
He added that ACOMIN has been engaged to implement the Civil Society Organizations and Community component, and further coordinate efforts of community based organizations on oversight, advocacy, and accountability at the community, Local Government Area, and state level.
Ogidi, noted that the new grant will fund model 3 (NFM 3) a continuation from the last phase of the program, implemented between 2018-2020 called NFM 2, expressed that NFM 3 will run from 2021 all through to 2023.
“The new grant is refered to as the new funding Model 3 (NFM 3) it is a continuation from the last phase implemented between 2018-2020 , called NFM 2. NFM 3 is going to run from 2021 to 2023 . ACOMIN on the new grant will continue with implementation of activities from NFM 2.” He said.
The Humanitarian further expressed that ACOMIN is working in close collaboration with the ministries of Health, Malaria Elimination Program, Primary Health Care Development Agency and Roll back Malaria Project in Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, and other ten states in Nigeria.
He noted that Renovation of Labour Room by the Community efforts at PHC Kukum Gida in Kaura LGA, Procurement of Plastic Chairs by the Community efforts at PHC Fadan Kagoro in Kaura LGA, Renovation of borehole in Kudan LGA by the organization among others are the successes recorded so far, expressed that commendable results have been achieved in malaria intervention in Nigeria since global fund intervention was put in place.
According to the global fund, Nigeria has the biggest malaria burden globally with about 61 million estimated cases recorded every year. Hence, the need for Global Fund assistance which has so far invested over US$2.6 billion in Nigeria for malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS interventions.
Most recently according to ACOMIN, the global Fund allocated the sum of US$ 900 million for malaria intervention in Nigeria as an improvement of about US$ 200 Million from the last grant.
They called on Media to help amplify the need for Government at all levels including the elites to support the course for the total elimination of malaria and other related illness in Kaduna State and the country at large.
