FG inaugurates technical group on tackling malaria

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

The federal government has inaugurated a technical working group on the country can end malaria infecting pregnant women and adoslescents.

The group would ensure that malaria with reproductive, maternal, child and adolescent health plus nutrition interventions are implemented in an integrated manner that would provide useful inputs and benefits to the health system.

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Abdulaziz Mashi Abdullahi informed that “this action has become very imperative giving the fact that our maternal, newborn and child health indices have not greatly improved as expected despite several inputs by government and partners.

“A critical analysis of the maternal, newborn and child health landscape by the government and partners revealed weak coordination among stakeholders is an important factor that may be partly responsible for this poor outcomes.

“These findings called for renewed efforts by government and stakeholders to put in place an all-inclusive structure that would allow effective stakeholders engagements and lead to the establishment of the national malaria plan.

“The global community has identified that effective integration of health intervention with routine service delivery is necessary to improve the coverage equity and quality of health interventions.’’

He tasked the group to be committed and show leadership for all health interventions and guarantee the inclusion of a broader base of stakeholders to ensure its smooth coordination.