The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) hhas launched a $90 million national malaria elimination programme in eight vulnerable states.
The agency in a press statement, Wednesday in Abuja, said: “USAID Mission Director, Anne Patterson, joined the Coordinator of Nigeria’s National Malaria Elimination Programme to launch a new activity to control the country’s leading killer of children malaria, in rural areas of eight vulnerable states.
“Over the next five years, the $90 million President’s Malaria Initiative for States (PMI-S) will serve as the flagship activity for the global U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) in Nigeria.
“Since 2010, PMI has provided $712 million in investments, including the distribution of over 61 million insecticide treated bed nets (ITN), which are now in 43 percent of all households, twice the rate before the intervention.”
According to Patterson, “In Nigeria, members of low-income households in rural areas are seven times more likely to contract malaria than urban dwellers.
“Because these communities also have limited access to prevention and treatment services, it is critically important to reach these populations to reduce malaria.”
USAID further stated that, “In partnership with state governments, PMI-S will improve the quality of and access to malaria services, promote evidence-based decision-making, boost drug drug-based prevention and treatments, and strengthen health systems and program management.
“The new activity builds on the success of earlier PMI-supported malaria interventions in Nigeria, which has helped the national rate of malaria infection decrease by 16 per cent, even higher for children under five, since PMI began operating in Nigeria. PMI has also helped increase the likelihood a pregnant woman receives malaria prophylaxis fourfold.”
Another 62 million rapid tests helped health workers properly diagnose and treat patients for malaria and other fevers.
PMI-S is implemented by Management Sciences for Health (MSH).
