A health official has bemoaned the lack of manpower in the eradication of malaria.
Samuel Chuwang, a member of the Civil Society for Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition in Gombe State revealed this on Thursday.
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Chuwang said that due to the lack of manpower in Gomber State, officials are unable to eradicate Malaria.
During a Press conference organized by the Global Fund and the Catholic Relief Services Chuwang listed the following problems in the healthcare system. They are:
He said, “i. Lack of adequate malaria commodities at some health facilities. ii. inadequate manpower in the facilities. iii. dilapidated healthcare infrastructures are serious challenges facing the state.
“There cannot be quality healthcare services where the healthcare structures are dilapidated with no seats or electricity.
“There are also hard-to-reach areas that require a lot of resources to improve access to health facilities.
“So, we are calling on the government to see how they can remove such barriers by improving road networks, good communication skills to help improve access to the health facilities.”
He also commended healthcare providers for providing care. He explained that this effort has reduced self-medication in Gombe State.
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Chuwang continued, “The attitude of workers in providing quality healthcare services to the people has improved. We saw this in most of the facilities visited.
“With the ACOMIN project, there has been a change in attitude and a change in the orientation of our healthcare providers.
“They are becoming more committed to providing healthcare services. There is increased patronage of healthcare facilities in the communities now unlike before when people go to the chemist or engage in self-medication,” he said.
The Coordinator, Civil Society for Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition, Gombe State, Hassan Maisanda spoke on the importance of the engagement.
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Maisanda said that the engagement was to completely eradicate malaria in the state.
She said, “Akko, Billiri, Balanga, Dukku, Funakaye, Kwami, Kaltungo and Yalmatu Deba are the implementing LGA’s.
“The challenges include but are not limited to an increase in the difficulty of accessing hard to reach areas, insecurity affecting many parts of the country and drug resistance to the malaria parasite.
Programme Manager, Gombe State Malaria Elimination Programme, Ubayo Ali revealed their efforts on Malaria.
Ali said the state had exceeded the target in the distribution of Insecticide Treated Nets.
He said this is the first time the state will be surpassing its ITNs distribution targets.
Source: PUNCH HealthWise
