Foundation advocates for strengthened Malaria prevention in Kogi

The Golden Generation Women for Sound Health and Development Foundation (GOSHEN Foundation) has called for urgent intervention to strengthen malaria prevention in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State through improved access to Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs).

The call was made following findings from the Foundation’s Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) activities conducted under the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) across 10 Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities in the area.

The Programme Officer GOSHEN Foundation Oluremi Rephael Haruna while presenting the report during an advocacy visit held at Kogi State ministry of health, said the report indicated that while malaria diagnosis and treatment services in the facilities were found to be relatively effective with essential commodities available and treatment offered free under the current system, a major gap exists in access to preventive tools, particularly LLINs.

According to the report, he noted that health officials at the facilities disclosed that they had not received supplies of mosquito nets for several years, raising concerns about the sustainability of malaria prevention efforts in the area.

He said the monitoring exercise also revealed that pregnant women, who are among the most vulnerable to malaria, have continued to demand for mosquito nets, underscoring the urgency of addressing the shortage.

Worried by the development, the programme officer revealed that GOSHEN Foundation engaged the Kogi State Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP), urging the agency to prioritize the distribution of LLINs to affected health facilities and communities in Kabba/Bunu LGA.

“The Foundation emphasized that scaling up access to preventive commodities such as insecticide-treated nets remains critical to reducing malaria prevalence and safeguarding public health, especially among vulnerable groups.

“It further called on relevant stakeholders to take immediate action to bridge the identified gap and strengthen ongoing malaria control efforts in the state” the programme manager said.

Responding, the Programme Manager, State Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP), Dr. Ake Oluwarotimi Stephen, commended GOSHEN Foundation for recognizing the state’s existing system for providing free malaria testing and treatment.

He explained that the system currently covers 515 health facilities across the 21 Local Government Areas of Kogi State, ensuring access to malaria diagnosis and treatment at the primary healthcare level.

Dr. Ake also acknowledged the concern raised by GOSHEN Foundation regarding the gap in access to LLINs across the state.

He noted that the last state-wide ITN campaign was conducted in 2017, approximately nine years ago, despite the fact that such campaigns ideally should be conducted every three years.

He however expressed optimism that the gap would soon be addressed.

According to him, the agency has secured the support of Malaria Consortium, with NITEL as the funder and Malaria Consortium serving as the implementing partner for the forthcoming ITN campaign.

He further disclosed that SMEP has already commenced micro-planning for the campaign, with training scheduled to take place across all 21 local government area within the month.

He assured GOSHEN Foundation that health facilities and communities in Kabba/Bunu LGA would be covered in the distribution of LLINs as the campaign progresses.

The engagement demonstrated the value of Community-Led Monitoring in identifying service delivery gaps and creating opportunities for constructive dialogue between communities, civil society organizations and government health authorities.

GOSHEN Foundation remains committed to using evidence from communities and health facilities to advocate for improved access to quality healthcare services and stronger health outcomes for vulnerable populations.