Community Dialogue Sparks Hope in Bauchi as Youth Corps, Partners Tackle Malaria with Gender-Focused Solutions.

By Uzairu Dauda Bunga:

 

In a renewed effort to combat malaria and improve public health in Bauchi State, the Global Fund and the African Leaders Malaria Alliance have launched a community dialogue through gender equality program initiative in Miri Village of Bauchi LGA, engaging traditional leaders, government agencies, health workers, and residents, the project aims to identify and address the barriers women face in accessing essential health services.

The National Co-Lead of the Nigeria Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Youth Corps, Mr. Given Promise, emphasized that the Gender Equality Fund Project is designed to foster accountability in healthcare delivery, particularly in malaria prevention.

He noted the initiative also promotes female-led advocacy to improve gender access to public health services.

Mr. Promise said, the dialogue brought together community leaders, health facilities, government representatives, and husbands, saying the project discovered that women often struggle to access health services due to a lack of consent from their husbands, which underlines the need for male engagement in their programs.

Highlighting the importance of women’s right in health-related decision-making, he stressed that empowering women, especially pregnant women can significantly reduce maternal mortality and child morbidity.

Mr. Promise commended the Bauchi State Government for its commitment to malaria prevention, including the widespread distribution and usage of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs).

He called for improved communication strategies in health centers to cater to patients with disabilities, cited a case at Miri Primary Health Centre where a deaf-blind woman, accompanied only by her young daughter, struggled to communicate with healthcare workers.

While acknowledging the difficulty in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of ending malaria by 2030, Mr. Promise expressed optimism, stating that progress is possible if everyone plays their part.

He also praised the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for establishing impactful community groups like Mama2Mama and Fathers for Good Health, which have strengthened health service delivery among women and children.

Urging the media to amplify youth-led efforts, he called for broader public support in the fight against malaria in Bauchi and across Nigeria.

Also speaking at the event, the National Gender Focal Point of the Malaria and NTDs Youth Corps, Miss. Grace Atinuke Felix, highlighted that pregnant women remain the most vulnerable to malaria and need urgent and consistent access to healthcare.

She appealed to husbands to always grant their wives the consent to seek medical help, even in their absence.

Ms. Atinuke Felix also revealed that women in the Siyi community of Ganjuwa Local Government Area have been trained on how to make local mosquito traps, an initiative aimed at preventing malaria infections within households.

She urged the government to employ and deploy more female health workers to rural communities, saying their presence facilitates better interaction and trust among women, especially expectant mothers.

In his remarks, the National Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and Bauchi State Coordinator of the Nigeria Malaria and NTDs Youth Corps Gender Program, Alhaji Rabi’u Abdulwahab noted that Bauchi was the pioneer state to implement the Nigeria Malaria and NTDS Corps in 2023.

Alhaji Abdulwahab said, the program has distributed ITNs, procured Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Kits (MRDs), and empowered communities with skills to combat malaria, including mosquito trap-making techniques.

He reiterated

the importance of the Fathers for Good Health initiative, supported by UNICEF, as a key strategy for sustaining malaria eradication efforts in Bauchi State.