By Lucy Osuizigbo-Okechukwu/Awka
The amount covers 2011 till date.
USAID Mission Director in Nigeria, Dr Anne Patterson said
the funding was made through the U.S President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), to
enable robust and effective malaria services to continue even as COVID-19
caused enormous strain on the health system.
She disclosed that 58 million bed nets, 130 million fast
acting medicines, and 82 million malaria test kits had been delivered to
clinics and communities since 2011, through the PMI funding and programmes.
According to her, 24 million preventive treatment doses were
also delivered to pregnant women and 13 million doses to children during the
rainy season.
“As stated by PMI’s Annual Report, the U.S. has partnered
with Nigeria to fight malaria since 2011, contributing $768 million dollars to
date and $74 million in FY 2021.
“In the past year, more than 3,666 health workers received
training that amplified their ability to detect and treat malaria, while
strengthening the health system overall and providing key skills to fight
COVID-19 and future pandemics.
“I think what Nigeria is doing to advance more effective
malaria prevention, treatment, and control is so important, especially the
introduction of innovative tools to make better use of the data, and also to
enhance quality of care via community-based health workers.
“Assisted by PMI investments, Nigeria is progressing its
fight against malaria using proven and cost-effective methods that save lives
and promise a more healthy and prosperous future for families and communities,”
she said.
Dr Julie Wallace, Acting U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator,
said that the U.S was proud of working with Nigeria in combating the deadly,
yet entirely preventable disease.
“We are partnering with Nigeria on a project as part of our
commitment to the reduction of the malaria burden and saving lives.
“The U.S Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa/Nigeria
(USAMRD-A/N), also with support from the PMI, has been able to increase and
strengthen the capacities of medical laboratory scientists in malaria
microscopy, rapid testing, quality assurance, and laboratory supervision.
“The USAMRD-A/N is also joining the State Ministries of
Health in Akwa-Ibom and Benue, the National Malaria Elimination Programme, and
the Nigerian Ministry of Defense in launching the National Malaria Slide Bank
(NMSB) Project.
“The project will produce Nigeria’s first bank of validated,
domestically developed slides for malaria microscopy training, external quality
assurance, and future research purposes,”she said