Training of health workers in Kwara State on malaria management case
has commenced across the 16 Local Government Areas.
This was disclosed by Programme Manager, State Malaria Elimination
Programme, Alhaji Abdullahi Nageri, during an interview with newsmen
on sideline of the training in Ilorin.
He said the training for the first phase include, healthcare workers
across the five public health facilities and six medical centres of
tertiary institutions in the state.
Nageri explained that the training is geared towards improving the
capacity of managers and other health professionals on malaria control
programmes and understanding the key determinants of malaria
epidemiology.
He noted that the state government had earlier released N82 million
for Malaria-Free Kwara Initiative (MFKI), adding that, there is
already free testing and treatment of Malaria for pregnant women and
children under five years of age across the 16 LGAs.
He explained that Malaria has become so endemic, especially in the
rural areas of the state, which calls for the idea of the Malaria-free
Kwara initiative.
He further said that some of the tertiary medical institutions for
first phase of the training included, Kwara State University, College
of Nursing and Midwifery, Kwara Polytechnic, University of Ilorin and
College of Education technical Lafiagi and College of Health
Technology Offa.
He added that the training will also include 56 unsupported Public
Primary Health facilities including General Hospital Ilorin, General
Hospital Okuta and Cottage Hospital ILesha Baruba among others.
Also speaking with newsmen, Director Public Health, Kwara Ministry of
Health, Dr Oluwatosin Fakayode explained that malaria remains public
health concern in the state.
He pointed out that there is higher cases of the disease at the LGA
level, and that six percent of outpatient are people down with the
disease.
“One in every three people taking sick absence from work is as a
result of malaria,” he said.
Fakayode disclosed that the training will afford participants the
knowledge of proper diagnosing, investigating and treatment of
malaria.
According to him, it is now suicidal for people to die of malaria in
the state as the state Governor has ensured malaria testing and
treatment are free.
