Malaria: IMPACT Targets LG Chairmen, Monarchs In Medical Access Campaign

Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Service (IMPACT) in Nasarawa State has reached out to local government chairmen and traditional rulers in the ongoing campaign to assist in sensitising citizens to access healthcare in facilities across the state.

IMPACT project manager in the state, Adamu Yakubu-Ohagenyi, told journalists in Akwanga  that the body had enlisted the services of chairmen’s committee on health in all the legislative councils, health secretaries in all local government areas  and other vital stakeholders in the campaign.

The IMPACT project in Nasarawa State  is a healthcare initiative that aims to improve the quality and use of immunisation and malaria services. The project is part of the Malaria Progress Acceleration (MPA) programme.

The project manager said significant progress had been made since the project came on stream to rid the state of malaria and other diseases, especially those responsible for maternal and child mortality through immunisation and treatment.

According to him, the ongoing efforts are aimed at getting people at the grassroots to key into the project through stakeholders at the local government level.

He said the awareness campaign had become necessary due to the lackadaisical attitude of the people to access medicare from certified facilities instead of patronising traditional medical practitioners.

“Most of our people are yet to understand the need to access health care due to cultural and social factors. They rather prefer to patronise traditional medicine practitioners rather than the well-stocked and state-of-the-art government facilities.

“For instance, during delivery, they still go to traditional birth attendants rather than going to hospitals, probably looking at the cost not knowing that the state government has brought in equity funds to take care of those who cannot afford medicare in hospitals. Some of them fall into the hands of quacks and when the situation gets out of hand they begin to rush to the hospital for remedial actions and it may be too late then.

“So we want to sensitise them that government is spending money to improve the health facilities. The quality of health care delivery in the state is top-notch. We have the facilities, equipment, drugs and personnel. Last year, Governor Abdullahi Sule approved the employment of 1,500 health workers for the PHCs. We want our people to know that they can access quality healthcare at virtually no cost,” he said.

The executive secretary, Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Usman Iskilu-Saleh, stated that the agency had taken proactive steps to revitalise primary healthcare facilities across the state.

He said the 58 primary healthcare facilities currently being revitalised would be ready for use in June.

He urged the people to take advantage of the facilities and others in the state to access quality healthcare.