The Nigerian Medical Students’ Association, Southwest Region, has urged the populace to join forces in the fight against malaria and other illnesses.

Faith Edobor, the Regional Director of Medical Outreach at NiMSA, made this call during a medical outreach organized in collaboration with the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, Mobihealth, and Rotaract 9110 in Lagos State. The event, which took place at the RCCG, Chapel of Solution in Mushin, Lagos, was conducted to mark the 2024 World Malaria Day, focusing on the theme of ‘Health, Equity, Gender, and Human Rights.’

World Malaria Day is observed annually on April 25th to acknowledge global initiatives in malaria control. This year’s theme, as designated by the World Health Organization, is ‘Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world.’

According to WHO, malaria is primarily transmitted to humans through bites from infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, and can also be spread through blood transfusions and contaminated needles. The initial symptoms can be mild and easily mistaken for other common febrile illnesses, making diagnosis challenging.

If untreated, P. falciparum malaria can develop into severe complications and even lead to death within a day, emphasized the global health organization.

Africa bears a significant portion of the worldwide malaria burden, with approximately 95% of all malaria cases and 96% of the related fatalities in 2021 occurring on the continent, as reported by WHO.

Edobor stated ,“Through medical outreaches, we extend care to those most vulnerable, bridging gaps in healthcare access and knowledge.

“This medical outreach is carried out all over the Southwest states. It cut across 15 medical schools participating in terms of carrying out enlightenment campaigns, tests including malaria, HIV, blood sugar tests and distribution of insecticide-treated nets and menstrual pads to female participants.

“Every test administered, every bed net distributed, and every piece of advice imparted is a step towards a malaria-free world. Together, through collective action and compassion, we can turn the tide against malaria, ensuring healthier futures for generations to come.”

Furthermore , she commended the interventions of the donors and partners towards the success of the outreach.

“I commend the president of MWAN, our host, Pastor of RCCG, Pastor Foluso Oyesiku, NiMSA regional coordinator, Southwest, Damilola Oriji, Rotaract District 9110 and my colleagues and local officers of NiMSA across the Southwest. Without you all this wouldn’t have been possible,” she highlighted.

Dr. Funmi Ige, the President of MWAN in Lagos, emphasized the importance of providing accessible and high-quality healthcare to all Nigerians, regardless of their gender or social position.

She stressed that every individual in Nigeria should have unrestricted access to quality healthcare services.

Dr. Ige highlighted the program’s significance, stating that Nigeria and Africa, as malaria-endemic regions, require increased efforts from governments at various levels to prevent the disease from spreading further.

She mentioned, “To commemorate this year’s World Malaria Day, we are screening 300 patients for Malaria, HIV, HBP, Blood sugar, and to also enlighten them on preventive measures and how to live a healthy lifestyle.

“A lot can be done to curb the spread of malaria and also reduce the number of casualties from the disease. As we know, we are in the malaria endemic zone in Nigeria and Africa. This means that malaria is peculiar to our areas therefore the fight against malaria is a continuous one.

“The government is trying its best to curb the spread of the disease. At MWAN, we are complementing this effort. We are interested in the well-being of the populace both women and children.

“So, we do health enlightenment and education concerning malaria and other diseases to let Nigerians know how to prevent it and when it thus happens, what they should do to get tested.

“In this outreach, we are testing and distributing drugs and insecticide-treated net free of cost courtesy of our partnering pharmaceutical organisations.

“We are extending the test to Hepatitis B for interested participants. We are calling on well-meaning Nigerians to support this cause so that we can reach out to more Nigerians.

“We are saying that Nigerian has a right to access healthcare regardless of gender therefore we are calling on the State and federal Governments to prioritise the wellness of all Nigerians. Every Nigerian should have the right to quality healthcare,” she said.

On his part, the Medical Director, Rotaract District 9110, Dr Bola Owate, urged the government to operate a more sustainable healthcare system and prioritise the prevention of diseases.

He mentioned, “At Rotaract, we are contributing our quota to reducing the burden of malaria as well as providing relief care possible.

“We are not only focusing on malaria. Our focus is also on other diseases like cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Today, we are screening for malaria with free drugs insecticide-treated net to be distributed to patients.

“Under this, my message to the government and Nigerians is to prioritise prevention of disease. Using malaria as a prototype, Nigerian government has invested a lot of resources in the prevention of malaria and even in healthcare, the burden of malaria is on the increase.

“There is a saying that an average Nigeria is one disease away from poverty thus we cannot continue to operate a health system that is not sustainable.

“We need to prioritise preventions, preventive practices and policies. Many communities across the countries have poor sanitary hygiene and environmental policies; this has increased the burden of malaria and other cardiovascular diseases.

“The government needs to invest in healthcare infrastructure to curb communicable and non-communicable diseases.”

Dennis Nima, a medical laboratory scientist and representative of Mobihealth, revealed that multiple new instances of malaria and hypertension were identified. Additionally, he noted that a significant number of patients tested positive for elevated fasting blood sugar levels.

He mentioned, “There are many cases of these and prescriptions have been given to them. The government should provide quality healthcare for the people and also try as much as possible to eradicate poverty because poverty also plays a huge role in the spread of malaria.”