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Malaria is experienced in Nigeria across 36 states and the FCT. The FCT is experiencing a high burden of cases, despite ongoing control efforts.
Available evidence from the compendium of national malaria data across standard surveys (2024) shows that “This malaria disease remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, particularly affecting pregnant women, children under five, and vulnerable populations, leading to substantial health, economic, and social impacts.” In response to the challenge, the Project Beyond the Bite, a capstone project of The School of Politics Policy and Governance was launched to support the fight against malaria in the Jikwoyi Community of FCT with the goal of contributing to reduction of the malaria prevalence.
Efforts to increase community awareness and behavioral changes was initiated with the advocacy efforts to the Esu of the Jikwoyi community, others traditional and religious leaders in the community. This advocacy sought to sensitize the leaders on the challenges of malaria especially as it affects women and children, obtain access and support to intervene within the community. Closing the gap between the community and health care is required to improve early detection and diagnosis, community awareness and sensitization was organized within the Jikwoyi reaching women, men, young adolescent girls, leaders and people with disability. This focused on prevention and the need to be tested and properly diagnosed before treatment. Myths and misconceptions were dispelled. Closing this gap demands updated skills for health workers, a refresher training was organized for health workers in the ECWA comprehensive medical center in Karu FCT. Over 20 health workers were trained cutting across all categories of clinical frontline health workers including doctors, nurses and CHEWs. Community medical outreach was organized to enhance treatment and access to therapies for over 120 people in Jikwoyi with 95% women. Quality malaria therapies’ including ACT were dispensed to beneficiaries who tested positive with the distribution of insecticide treated nests and sprays to prevent and reduce mosquito bites.
Understanding the importance of hygiene in the eradication of malaria especially breading sites. The demonstration of the cleaning of breading sites and the need to keep the environment clean were emphasis. Washing detergent we distributed to women beneficiaries to ensure they maintain clean and hygienic environment and homes. Enhancing multi-sectoral partnership and policy advocacy, the project BTB joined in celebrating of the World Malaria Day with sensitization webinars that reached over 500; expert knowledge webinars were conducted on topical issues affecting the eradication of malaria including domestic resource mobilization, critical issues to consider in the malaria intervention such as the types of ITNs, mode of infection and mutation of mosquito parasites.
Knowing the effect of stories as a connector, the project BTB organized a story telling webinar focused on connecting clinical practitioners across the globe and survivors of cerebral and severer malaria with members of the public to share insights, highlights symptoms, impacts, treatment protocols including critical diagnoses nuance to note. This project is an opportunity to give back to community through the effort to School of Politics’, Policy and Governance (SPPG) Public Health Capstone class of 2025
