CSOs partners NPHCDA in fight against malaria, tuberculosis, others in Cross River

Civil Society Organisations(CSOs) in partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in Cross River have placed five Local Government Areas(LGAs) on its watch concerning the fight against malaria and tuberculosis in the state.

The project include malaria control, immunization and nutrition with the primary aim of strengthening community-based ownership of health facilities, patronage to primary health care, COVID-19 vaccination and community-led monitoring and advocacy.

The LGAs include Abi, Boki, Obudu, Odukpani and Yala.

Addressing newsmen in Calabar, Programme Manager, State Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr Kenneth Takim said, “the CSO ACOMIN is a very critical partner in malaria elimination. he added that, “they are working with us at the grassroots level creating demand and awareness that enable members of local communities to access health services that will rescue them from their health challenges.”

Stating reasons for Civil Society for Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition (ACOMIN) involvement, State Cordinator for Civil Society Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition and the Aids Tuberculosis and Malaria Networks, Pastor Effiong Udobong, explained that, “we work in these three disease areas, we already know that we don’t have the desired turn out at our health facilities. there is no turnout.

“So we are moving to increase access, demand and services at health facilities in the targeted Local Government Areas which are Abi, Boki, Obudu, Odukpani and Yala. we have identified reasons why people don’t go to health facilities, the reasons include; poor environmental clean up at the health facilities, lack of community ownership status to the health facilities, so we are stepping in to bridge these gaps,” he said.

However, a community based organisation representative, Owai Ebenezer, explained their experiences with rural dwellers in the course of implementation of the project, “Our role is to work with the community members, we lead monitoring teams; what we do is to conduct focus group discussions with the chiefs, pregnant women, youth leaders, women leaders and members of the communities on the need for community ownership of health facilities and why they should both take care and patronize the health facilities.

“We have recorded a huge increase in patronage like in Covid-19 up take patronage is now increased, from 250 to 521 monthly administrations, in Ediba community of Abi local government area. The community leaders are also rising to the sanitation and cleaning of the health facilities too, so we are making progress.”

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