From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Geneith Pharmaceuticals has launched a health competition for primary and secondary students aimed at advocacy and combating malaria in Nigeria.
The company said there was a need to cascade the knowledge of malaria down to the younger generation. Hence, the route of health competition encourage and reward young people who involve themselves in the campaign.
Its Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Umenwa, said the health competition initiative is expected to harness the creativity and passion of young Nigerians in the school system in raising awareness and developing innovative strategies for malaria prevention.
He disclosed that over N1 billion has been committed to the programme, disclosing that N400 million will be spent on student prizes, while N600 million will be spent on educational materials and gifts for participants across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Managing Director, CEO Africa , Mr.Cletus Ilobanafor, said the process will be quiz format with three categories: Junior Secondary School (JSS), Senior Secondary School (SSS), and Tertiary Institution.
“The first round will be online for the state level, after which winners will proceed to physical regional-level contests. From there, winners would progress to the regional stage and then to the national finals. Only the top participant in each stage moves to the next. The competition will run on a one-year cycle, with registration starting June 1,” he explained.
He said that a 14-member College of Assessors, drawn from various healthcare sectors, will oversee the process.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, who was represented by the Director of Public Health, Dr. Godwin Ntadom commended the organisers for championing such a laudable and impactful initiative.
He stated that malaria remains both a health and developmental challenge, with emotional, economic, and infrastructural implications.
Pate said, “Despite hosting the world’s largest malaria summits in 2000 and 2023, Nigeria continues to bear the highest global burden of the disease. So, it’s time to shift from talking to action by empowering our youth to lead that charge.”