Charles Ekanem|27 June 2017
Africare one of the Nigeria sub-recipients (SRS) to Society for family Health (SFH) implementing the Social Mobilization components of Global Fund Malaria project in 10 south-south and 6 south-west state with Cross River inclusive held a closeout meeting of the Social Mobilization component of Global Malaria New Funding Model in Cross River State at Marian Hotel, Calabar.
Speaking, Dr Betta Edu thanked them for the great work done in the state as Cross River is rated number 1 amongst the 10 states where implementation held. She said it will be very good for Africare to leave behind work/IEC materials in those LGAs where programs were implemented to support the state push the job forward.
She appealed to Africare to have Cross River in mind when applying for other grant so we don't go back on our gains achieved. We look forward to more partnership with your organization as the state under the digital leadership of Sen. Ayade will work hard to sustain the gains and take the state to an elimination stage.
"This report shared should be given to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) as there are the new Sub-Recipients (SRS) for Global funds Malaria in Cross River State. They need to know existing gaps, recommendations and achievements so the can work with us and start where you ended to achieve good results.
"His Excellency, Senator ( Prof) Ben Ayade is committed to seeing that Cross River State can get to the elimination stage as it concern Malaria. We the field soldiers are working assiduously towards it. Dr Edu thanked Africare for their support and effort especially in the field", she concluded.
Director Malaria Program Africare, Dr Patrick Adah, said the meeting was an opportunity to officially inform the State and LGAs of the Close out of the project in Cross River, review project achievements and discuss the challenges, best practices then share lessons learnt and make recommendations for the implementation of similar project in the future.
According to her, the project was successfully carried out in 47 wards, 224 communities in 9 LGAs as over 313 advocacy visits were successfully carried out across 224 communities in the 9 LGAs and all Stakeholders pledged their support to sustainablity. he said about 186,7960 persons were reached through 15,447 households and 848 group sessions.
He recommended that state and LGAs officials should play their ownership role in communities sensitization to ensure 100% awareness on malaria and engagement of more health facilities to increase accessibility of Malaria commodities to the people amongst others.
Meanwhile a delegation of Heads of Society For Family Health (SFH) from Abuja paid a courtesy call to the DGs office to debrief her about the close out of their project noted that the project closing out has been in the state since 2009 and have been supporting facilities in the state with training, commodities, Rapid Diagnosing Test (RDTs), HCT, ACT and also private hospitals across the State. The leader of the team said with these giant strides they have been able to improve malaria diagnosis and treatment in the state.
He said almost 100% cases in Cross River from their analysis were tested with RDTs but unfortunately the project will be rounding up briefly and to come back in 2018 but while they are away they want to see that most of what they have done and the achievement is sustained till their coming back.
"So we are here is to seek your suport in any way you can to see this project is sustain by keeping to the goal of Malaria elimination in State".
Accordingly, Dr Betta Edu thanked SFH and Dr Ngozi-Noel Ogambi for all her effort in ensuring everyone is reached with the RDTs. She said the organization have been so supportive to the Agency beginning from the Multi Year Operational Planning meeting which SFH supported immensely. She lauded their support to private hospitals on RDTs which according to her was a right step taken to ensure balance in the elimination of Malaria from Cross River State.
She assured them that the Agency will begin from where they stopped by continuing their programs till they come back in 2018.
Present at the SFH meeting were project heads from Abuja, Dr Nogozi Noel-Ogambi, Territorial Manager of SFH and other project staffs while the Africare meeting had in attendance Dr Asuquo Ekwe, State Malaria Elimination Program Manager, State Social Mobilisation officer, Mrs Agnes Ogogo, Africare Project Officer, Mrs Imabong Akpan and others.
Charles Ekanem
Writes from Calabar
