Rotary Club International, Maple Grove, Minnesota, USA has collaborated with their counterparts of Agege and Ughelli Districts to bring succor to persons affected with Malaria in the Malaria in the Niger Delta Region.
The exercise started with communities and farm settlements in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State which are the most vulnerable due to the ravaging effects of flood in the area.
Speaking on Tuesday in Patani on the essence of the programme tagged “Zero Malaria Initiative, Pastor Jennifer Borel, President Rotary Club of Maple Grove, Minnesota, said the initiative was one of the many Rotary medical and life changing interventions carried out for the benefits of mankind especially the poor and vulnerable across the globe.
According to Borel, the Niger Delta region, Patani inclusive has high humidity level which causes rainfalls resulting to flooding which displaces many people from their homes and their farm settlements stating that the resultant effects of the flooding amongst other things is that it becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes which causes malaria and other health challenges.
She said the resultant effect is the endangering of the lives of the people of the region especially in Patani Local Government area of Delta State which was one of the worst affected areas during the 2022 flood.
The initiative which was initially slated to run for twelve months she disclosed was extended to seventeen months due to the flood situation in Patani which made some communities inaccessible.
The programme according to the coordinator started with the initial training of community based volunteers (CBVs) who went door-to-door in the communities for awareness creation supervised by the Patani Primary health care and fully catered for by Rotary International.
The essence of the programme she said was to conduct free malaria and eye test, provisions of free malaria drugs, treated mosquito nets as well as provisions of medicated glasses to those with defective eye-sights while serious cases were referred to Primary health centres.
Jennifer Borel said “The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified that Nigeria has a burden of over 51 million persons affected by malaria with over 207,000 deaths recorded annually especially in the Niger Delta region due to the terrain of the area.
“These fact necessitated Rotary International to take a cursory look into the menace of malaria in the region with particular interest in Patani which was the worst flood hit area adding that the initiative will be extended to other areas of the region in due course.
Commenting on the conduct of Zero Malaria Initiative programme, the Patani health educator and promotion officer, Mrs. Cynthia Amiete who served as community based supervisor (CBS) in the Zero Malaria Initiative Patani, said that over twenty thousand persons were tested for rapid Diagnosis test malaria (RDT) and those infected were treated while serious cases were referred to Primary health centres for treatment.
She said “Over thirty six community based volunteers (CBVs) were trained, equipped with malaria test kits and drugs and sent to communities and farm settlements in Patani stating that within the period of seventeen months which the programme lasted, there was no record of death as a result of malaria attack from the communities and settlements.
She particularly commended Jennifer Borel and Rotary International for the initiative while appealing that the programme be extended to other Local Government Areas in Delta State as well as other Niger Delta States.
She disclosed that the programme has created awareness on health related matters in Patani Local Government as other ailments discovered were sent to referral centres for treatment stating that the benefits of the programme is enormous and cannot be over-emphasized. She also praised the various communities and farm settlements visited for their peaceful dispositions and adherence to medical advice.
Also speaking, one of the Community Based volunteer Trainee (CBT) Mrs. Abukoye Benalayefa on behalf of the trainees thanked Chief Jennifer Borel and Rotary International for their magnanimity stressing that the training has given them required knowledge of this deadly malaria disease and the stipends received within the seventeen month period went along way to assisting families.
Speaking earlier, the Pere of Kabowei Kingdom, HRM Peremobowei Shadrack
Erebulu, commended the Zero Malaria initiative and thanked the Rotary International for their collaboration to save lives in his kingdom.
According to him, the feedback he got from the initiative was impactful and very positive stressing that the beneficiaries thronged to his palace on daily basis calling for the sustainability of the programme.
The Royal Majesty added that during the flood period, Chief Jennifer Borel donated free drugs and palliatives to those who were displaced both in the creeks and farm settlements especially those who were infected with malaria.
In appreciation to that the Pere of Kabowei Kingdom conferred on her the title of “Izonebidora of Kabowei Kingdom” (daughter of the kingdom who is seeking for good and benefits of Ijaw nation).
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