By Martha Odumu
World Malaria Day 2023 is marked under the theme “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement”.
At Odumehaje Christian Medical Mission, we are focused on raising awareness about the need to “implement” the tools and strategies we have available to us to reach those who continue to be unreached across Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Nigeria.
So much has been done to mitigate the spread of malaria already, but the fight to deliver zero malaria is far from reached. Malaria continues to flourish in Nigeria due to tropical weather conditions, poor sanitation, overcrowding and most of all, limited access to quality health care and low standards of living.
Statistics show that 83 million Nigerians lack access to healthcare and 30% of infant mortality in the country is caused by malaria while the country ranks first in global malaria deaths. These statistics are disheartening.
Malaria is one of the top leading causes of death in Nigeria. The good news is that the Nigerian government is working in collaboration with WHO and other international health communities like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, The US President’s Malaria Initiative, the World Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, etcetera, making funds available to scale up the global fight against malaria.
Also, in Nigeria, the Roll Back Malaria
partnership and the combined efforts of the health communities, with OCMM, inclusive, are working towards achieving global malaria targets and delivering on the “zero malaria” promise, reaching populations with malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment approaches.
Our Mission in OCMM is to take compassionate comprehensive Healthcare, Essential services and Hope to the doorsteps of underserved communities in Nigeria through collaborations, in the love of Christ.
More than 70% of malaria deaths in this part of the world is attributable to Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria, and often because of delayed treatment due to remoteness, hard- to- reach, resource-poor and underserved nature of most of the communities.
As part of efforts in delivering on the zero malaria target, Odumehaje Christian Medical Mission have over the years been involved in the distribution of insecticide-treated bednets, distribution of free prophylactic medications for malaria and treatment with Artemether combinations that have been proven to be currently more effective in the treatment of malaria. We also carry out health education and promotion to teach the indigenous people in the communities we serve practical steps to malaria prevention and vector control.
The fight against malaria is far from ending and everyone has a part to play. Let’s join hands together to make this dream come true.
Visit >>our donate page to know how.
The world needs you. Africa needs you. Nigeria needs you. Let’s fight diseases and give Hope to the hopeless together.
