By Gbenga Sodeinde
As part of effort to reduce the scourge of Malaria in Nigeria and meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) three, which focused on good health and well being, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has approved 90million dollars grant for Cross River State and seven others in the country.
The states that qualified for the grant,which includes Zamfara,Oyo,Ebonyi,Akwa Ibom ,Nassarawa,Plateau and Benue States have demonstrated genuine efforts in combating malaria related death in their states eight states despite their high prone status.
Chairman of the Forum of Health Commissioners in Nigeria and Cross River State Commissioner For Health,Dr Betta Edu made this known in Calabar during an enlarge health cluster meeting in her office.
Edu said Cross River Statw has key into the Malaria Initiative which is a U.S. Government program designed to reduce malaria related deaths and illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa’s target countries, with a long-term vision of a World without Malaria.
The Commissioner said, the US President’s Malaria Initiative for States, (PMI-S) Project aimed at reducing malaria mortality by one-third through Major interventions which includes long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and Case management strategy is being adopted in Cross River.
She said in a statement issued by her ministry that Over 2 million Long lasting insecticide treated nets were distributed in 2019,while the state management of malaria from diagnoses to testing and treatment were covered free of charge in both primary and secondary facilities across the state.
The statement also quoted the Country Director of PMI-S Dr Abba Zakari Umar posision on the objectives and project overview of the initiative which aimed at improving the quality access to comprehensive malaria case management, improve data quality, improve drug based prevention and treatment approach among others.
The initiative was in collaboration with the Ministries of Health, State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Private sectors, State Health Insurance Scheme, and Professional Unions.