Over 1,500 people from 15 communities in Bayelsa State have benefitted from the Zero Malaria Project launched yesterday by the Rotary Club of Maple Grove in the United States.
The Minnesota, USA-based Rotary Club of Maple Grove, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Yenagoa Towers and the Sagbama Primary Healthcare Authority, facilitated the year-long project. It provides free malaria testing and treatment, mosquito nets, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, and medicated eyeglasses.
The project director and assistant governor of Rotary District 5950, USA, Mrs. Jennifer Borel, said the focus is on preventing malaria rather than just treating it.
She said, “Rotary International has seven focus areas, one of which is disease prevention and treatment. Bayelsa State was selected for the project because it is waterlogged and prone to flooding, which encourages mosquito breeding.
These communities experience high malaria cases, and I took responsibility to bring the project here to help save lives from this deadly disease.”
“A similar project was done in Patani, Delta State, in 2022, where infections drastically reduced, and no deaths were recorded because of education and awareness. That success encouraged us to extend the project to Bayelsa State riverine areas.”
She expressed confidence in the program’s success based on the turnout thus far, adding that trained community-based volunteers will continue to reach out to remote areas to educate residents and provide them with insecticide-treated nets and malaria medications.
The district governor-elect of Rotary District 9141, comprising Rivers, Delta, Edo, and Bayelsa states, Anthony Olikagu, said the initiative is more than just treatment but a step towards saving families from losing loved ones.
“Malaria deprives people of their joy, and I am delighted that thousands of families will find joy through this project. We must continue to thank Rotary International for introducing this global grant project to our local communities. This area is waterlogged and prone to mosquitoes, so this project will significantly contribute to eradicating the disease.” he said.
The Sagbama local government chairperson, Alice Tangi, represented by the vice chairman, Jefferson Tobi, noted that Rotary’s support came at the right time.
“This programme is one of its kind in Sagbama Local Government Area, especially as malaria cases peak during the rainy season. We are grateful to Rotary International for bringing this project to our communities,” he added.
His Royal Majesty King Boloyi Sufadoh, Pere of Kumbowei Kingdom, also expressed his appreciation for Rotary’s efforts and thanked the organization for extending the project to underserved areas in the state.
