Confronting the malaria scourge frontally
In Nigeria alone, it is believed and proved with verifiable fact that one out of every 100 birth stands the risk of dying from malaria except timely intervention is put in place to avert such disaster. Undoubtedly, malaria has become the most dreaded disease lurking around and crannies of the country. There is no gain […]
In Nigeria alone, it is believed and proved with verifiable fact that one out of every 100 birth stands the risk of dying from malaria except timely intervention is put in place to avert such disaster. Undoubtedly, malaria has become the most dreaded disease lurking around and crannies of the country. There is no gain saying the fact that this troubling situation in terms of the deadly impact of malaria in our country has been enormous. It has seriously become a major sad index of our economic retrogression as the disease has negative multiplier effects or both human and material resources.
In other words, malaria affects productivity and the overall economic growth and subsequently, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of any afflicted nation. Nigeria continues to loss huge man hour and valuable chunk of its manpower potentials due to the devaluating effect of malaria. This is evident from the fact that malaria which is a killer disease slows down productivity since the victims of the disease become weak and less productive. And a country where malaria ravages with alacrity like Nigeria means that on near daily basis, huge amount of money is lost in terms of either treating the disease or due to the inability of its victims to function optimally in their various endeavour.
Confronted by this sad scenario, Nigeria’s government at various levels and at different times, seem to have been moving in circles as regarding how to tame this rampaging monster. Often times, government efforts ended in mere sloganeering or rhetoric without a corresponding action to back the talks. This ugly trend has been the bane in the war against malaria. But frankly, worried and perturbed that most developing countries may remain trapped in the web of poverty and deprivation if the malaria scourge continues its assault on human and material wellbeing of such nations, several international organizations like Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria which came on board in 2002 took the incentive to partner with these African countries ravaged by malaria. This partnership which has become result oriented and impressive seems to have woken up most countries like Nigeria to live up to its responsibility in tackling the pandemic.
Still aside international organizations, some local non-governmental organization (NGOS) remerged in Africa to help create awareness and galvanize the citizenry towards collectively lighting the malaria scourge. Such NGOS like Friends Africa which was inaugurated in February 2007 in Kigali, Rwanda has been in the front banner in the war against Malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS. Friends Africa through its activities has been able to attract funds to tackle malaria in Africa.
With a mission of “An Africa continent free of Aids TB and malaria”, Friends Africa has been mobilizing political and financial support from African government, private sector and civil society for the purpose of brining about sustainable and effective methods of addressing AIDS, TB and Malaria in Africa with emphasis on the Global Fund a key funding mechanism in the fight. And since 2005, Global fund has been particularly concerned in tackling malaria in Nigeria which has been categorized as one of the 20 high impact countries that is now receiving attention.
However, in consonance with its mandate to check malaria, the Global Fund recently in Abuja signed a $225 million agreement with the federal government of Nigeria, mainly to fight malaria. That epochal opened fresh vistas in the war against malaria as Global Fund and the Federal Government entered a new partnership to tackle the pandemic with renewed vigor and commitment. Speaking at the event, the Deputy Executive Director of Global Fund, Debrework Zewdie underscored the importance of the agreement stressing that Global Fund is determined to reduce the malaria scourge in Nigeria in partnership with government.
She added “That two grants we are signing today will bring another $225 million to fighting malaria – they reflect the tremendous progress that has been made against malaria and the need for much more to be done to reduce child mortality and reaching health millennium Development Global (MDGs).
Zewdie further disclosed, “The special thing about these grants is that the Global Fund Board approved the full funding amount available, and in what was to my knowledge the first time ever the Board allowed us to include an additional $50 million, in this case for bed nets, upon further funding commitment by the Nigerian Government”.
Also, an elated Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu told his agust audience at the signing ceremony that Global Fund has become a dependable partner in the war against Malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS in Africa. He stresses, “As you are aware, the Global fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFTM) has been supporting the implementation of interventions targeted at reducing the burden of the three diseases. The support from Global fund has invariably resulted in the scaling up of interventions against these three diseases and with the solid collaboration from the Nigerian government; we are beginning to see substantial reduction in the morbidity and mortality of the scourges.”
The Minister also rolled out statistics and painted a rosy picture of the efforts to check the malaria scourge, adding that all hands are on deck to tackle the malaria menace and put the country of belle health inches.
He adds, “I am pleased to say that these concerted efforts galvanized by the National Malaria Control Programs in collaboration with partners, multilateral and bilateral agencies as well as the indigenous organizations have halted and began reversal of the large number of morbidities and mortalities previously unleashed by the deadly scourge and which significantly contribute to over poor health and indices”.
However, as cheering as the efforts made to tackle malaria may be, it is apposite to say here that it is not yet uhuru in our war against the scourge as much more still need to be done to keep this deadly disease at bay.
Beyond splashing huge funds on malaria, government and other relevant organizations must be up and doing to ensure that the funds are genuinely utilized and channeled to areas of need rather than exposing such monies to the itchy fingers of policy implementers. There is also the need to enlighten the public on the need for a cleaner and neater environment since mosquitoes which are major transmission agents of malaria, breed and populate in dirty environments. In addition, governments at all levels must intensify campaign on sanitation and lead by examples by keeping their own surroundings clean.
Peter Osamgbi is a communication expert based in Lagos