Malaria Control Program: Say No To Malaria.

Malaria is endemic in Africa and mainly in Nigeria. Nigeria is topmost on global malaria prevalence and death, contributing about 27% of global malaria-related prevalence and death. A child dies every two minutes in Africa from Malaria. Children under five and pregnant women are most vulnerable to severe Malaria and death, contributing to about 80% of complicated Malaria and malaria-related deaths.

OCHF is committed to effective malaria control and focuses on rural communities. Rural communities are confirmed to have the least level of malaria prevention and treatment resources despite having the highest disease burden. The cornerstones of OCHF intervention are effective malaria control education, active and regular chemoprophylaxis, timely and accurate diagnosis, appropriate and complete treatment of diagnosed cases, relevant case follow-ups and research. OCHF adopted the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria for 2016–2030 on the program.

-Making all the services the program provides 100% free to patients.

-Collaborating with the rural community in developing and implementing the malaria control program.

-Training the community youths ( trained workers) to implement the program.

-Focusing on patient demographics most vulnerable to severe malaria and death ( children and pregnant women).

-Establishing a specialized Malaria Diagnostic and Treatment Center in the community for any child and pregnant woman that think he/she has Malaria to visit for FREE malaria diagnostic test and appropriate treatment using Artemisinin Combination Therapy if the test is positive.

-Trained workers visit the homes in the community every three months to provide malaria control education and administer an appropriate dose of malaria medication to all eligible under-five children and pregnant women.

-Trained workers dispense Acetaminophen to caregivers of the children to keep and administer early to any child that develops a fever. Fever is a common symptom of Malaria and the cause of the seizure and can be prevented by timely treatment with Acetaminophen.

-In addition, the trained worker reminds the caregivers to take any child that develops a fever or is suspected of having Malaria to the program’s Diagnostic and Treatment Centre for proper diagnostic tests and treatment. They also provide effective malaria control education to caregivers.

-The program was well received and supported by Amechi Uwani community members who wanted the program to continue indefinitely and be expanded to include other common diseases. The survey conducted after the first year of the program showed that the program was effective in significantly reducing malaria incidence and severity. The incidence of Malaria was reduced by 54%, with no cases of severe Malaria and no malaria-related death among the participants in the program.