THE West and Central Africa Programmes Director of Malaria Consortium, Dr. Kolawole Maxwell, has urged the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board to intensify efforts towards malaria elimination by strengthening primary healthcare systems, expanding preventive interventions and using realtime data to target malaria hotspots across the state.
Dr Maxwell made the call during an advocacy visit by the Malaria Consortium Board of Trustees to the Board in Ibadan. He commended its unwavering support for malaria interventions and described primary healthcare as the foundation of effective malaria control.
“We cannot say we are working in Oyo State without coming to the Primary Health Care Board because this is where the rubber meets the road. We are here to thank you and your team for the tremendous support you have given our staff and programmes over the years,” he said. He applauded the state’s reduction in malaria prevalence from 20 per cent to 12 per cent, describing it as evidence of strong collaboration among government, development partners and frontline health workers. While noting that the achievement could not be credited to a single organisation, he urged stakeholders to consolidate the gains and pursue malaria elimination.
Dr Maxwell called for stronger integration of malaria interventions into primary healthcare services rather than relying on stand-alone programmes. He also urged the state to prepare for the introduction of the malaria vaccine by strengthening routine immunisation and engaging national authorities to secure access.
“Oyo State should begin preparing now. It is not enough to receive the malaria vaccine; the real challenge is ensuring that every eligible child has access to it through a strong primary healthcare system,” he said.
ALSO READ: Nigeria must embrace long-acting contraceptives to curb population growth — UI don
He highlighted additional World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended malaria prevention strategies, including Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC), Post-Discharge Malaria Chemoprevention (PDMC) and Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT), urging the state to assess their suitability alongside Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC).
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV