Future of Malaria Eradication: ACOMIN Calls For Local Resource Mobilization Amid Shrinking Donor Support, Commends Stakeholders
By Sola Aderinto,
Accountability of Civil Society Organisations on Malaria Control Immunisation and Nutrition ACOMIN, has commended stakeholders and the state government for supporting healthcare initiatives, it urged all to prioritize funding for healthcare programs.
The malaria eradication civil society organisations who believes that communities investment and taking ownership of health initiatives, emphasized that transparency and accountability improves services as people are more likely to monitor the effective use of resources and demand better service delivery.
The Global fund malaria project in
Nigeria at its media briefing held in Osogbo lauded the commendable progress in the fight against malaria through efforts such as the distribution of Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) and increased usage, improved diagnostics, increased availability and access to treatment, and community health education and interventions such as clearing and reduction of breeding sites.
In his remarks, the state ACOMIN Chairman, Ambassador Dr. Aremu Stephen Akinyele, expressed his appreciation to everyone, as he reflected on the journey of malaria eradication and acknowledged the invaluable contributions of all organizations in Osun State.
He pointed out that with the recent significant reduction in donor funding and an economic downturn, thereby threatening the fight against malaria in Osun state and Nigeria as a whole, with donor funding rapidly shrinking, non governmental organisations can no longer rely solely fully on external support to sustain the progress made. The ACOMIN project has also built a long-lost relationship between healthcare facilities and the community.
He elucidated the call for urgent need to transition from a dependency-based model to one rooted in local ownership, self-sufficiency, and long-term resilience, by harnessing and mobilizing resources from within local communities, to achieve transparency and Accountability, Inclusion and Relevance, Resilience, Speed, and Flexibility.
Also speaking, Dr. Ogunbamiwo Henry Femi, Executive Director of Initiative for Environmental Health Development, said the project has successfully triggered community ownership, with communities taking an active role in healthcare delivery. “We have successfully triggered the community to own this project, and that’s the essence of it all,” he said.
Mrs. Olowokere Olufumilayo, Executive Director of Center for Women Empowerment and Child Labor Eradication, also shared success stories from the project. “We have been able to accomplish a lot of success stories, including facilitating the purchase of a wean scale for Egbedi PAC and soliciting support from RBM to provide three beds and three bed stands for Ajannoku PHC,” she said.
The ACOMIN group who was lauded by communities for consistency, opined that despite challenges facing the project, including funding constraints and the need for increased community engagement, the ACOMIN project has made significant progress in improving healthcare outcomes in Osun State. The project’s impact on healthcare delivery in the state has been significant, with essential healthcare services being provided to communities in need.
The State Primary Health Care Development Board, Abidin Adebowale, PhC Malaria Desk Officer emphasized the importance of sustainable funding for healthcare initiatives. “We need to ensure consistent and sufficient funding for healthcare initiatives to maintain momentum and achieve long-term goals,” he said.
SPO David Amoto, the State Programme Officer, in his summation congratulated everyone for their dedication and loyalty to the project’s success. “I want to congratulate each and every one of you for your dedication and loyalty to this success story,” he said. “As we look to the second half of the year, I urge you all to gear up and continue working hard to achieve our goals.”
The stakeholders called on the state government to continue supporting healthcare initiatives and to prioritize funding for healthcare programs at the meeting which marked an important milestone in the ACOMIN project’s journey, highlighting the progress made, and as the project continues to evolve, it is expected to have a lasting impact on healthcare delivery in Osun State, with the support of the Global Fund and other partners, the ACOMIN project is poised to continue making a significant difference in the lives of communities in Osun State.
This is a call for civic responsibility, collective action, and sustainable development. Now is the time to invest in a malaria response system built by Nigerians, for Nigerians, ACOMIN concluded.
ACOMIN’s focus under the GC7 grant is on Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) project is on educating the communities on the relevance of healthcare services, empowering communities to identify service delivery gaps, advocating using data, actively participating in improving the quality-of-service provision at the facilities, mobilization of uptake of available services as well as domestic resources to sustain essential health services.
The high-level media briefing discussed the progress and challenges of the ACOMIN project, a community-led initiative aimed at improving healthcare outcomes in the state, the press briefing brought together stakeholders from various organizations, including the State Primary Health Care Development Board, Initiative for Environmental Health Development, and Center for Women Empowerment and Child Labor Eradication.
The project is currently active in 13 states; Ogun, Delta, Osun, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Gombe, Yobe, Katsina, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, and Jigawa covering 130 LGAs, 260 wards, and 260 health facilities.