BreakThrough Action – Nigeria Celebrates World Malaria Day

• Says ignoring other communicable diseases risky

BY UBON EKANEM, UYO – Amid growing anxiety over the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its attendant health and economic implications on countries, BreakThrough Action – Nigeria says it will be risky to ignore the debilitating effects of malaria on the global stage.

Consequently, the organisation has reminded Nigerians to stay focus on promoting malaria campaign alongside the current fight to halt COVID-19 spread and its worldwide ravaging impact.

BreakThrough Action – Nigeria, is an International Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and focuses on advocacy campaign against malaria; neo natal; child health; nutrition; family planning; and tuberculosis.

This clarion call, contained in a statement in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom capital, comes on the heels of World Malaria Day celebrations on Saturday, April 25, 2020.

According to the organization, though COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing advisory have hampered advocacy and modus operandi of partnering with media houses to promote awareness on malaria control and the spread of other communicable diseases, it is important to ensure promoting robust health programmes among Nigerians is not dwarfed by heightening concerns over coronavirus outbreak.

Signed by the Programme and Social Behavior Change, Officer, BreakThrough Action – Nigeria, Madam Nkoyo Umoh, the statement said despite the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s World Malaria Day celebration will highlight the importance of maintaining robust health systems aimed at preventing age-long diseases like malaria, alongside emerging ones like coronavirus.

Umoh urged media houses to avoid being restrained and limited in their social responsibility by thinking outside the box and coming up with innovative ideas on how to combat the social effects of malaria and COVID-19 as well as exploring creative ways of overcoming the danger posed by these diseases on the nation’s health system.

She said BreakThrough Action – Nigeria is a USAID sponsored five-year-health project to implement health promotion; social and behavior change, as well as strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to implement state of the art, social and behavior change communication programmes.

Explaining that the organization is currently working in 11 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Umoh said in Akwa Ibom, the project areas of interest are malaria and family planning advocacy campaign while malaria remains the main area of focus in Cross River State.

She said the goal is to foster vibrant evidence based community innovation and programming toward robust health development among Nigerians.

Umoh therefore urged media houses to sustain existing partnership with the organization through expert public information and creative awareness on malaria symptoms, causes and prevention, alongside family planning, types, myths and misconceptions with its attendants benefits to the general populace.