Malaria Consortium Expands Healthcare Support in Oyo

The Malaria Consortium has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its partnership with the Oyo State Government, pledging to expand its support beyond malaria interventions to enhance healthcare delivery across the state. This commitment was articulated by Dr Kolawole Maxwell, the West and Central Africa Programmes Director, during an advocacy visit to the Oyo State Ministry of Health in Ibadan.

The visit included members of the Board of Trustees, such as Prof. Jenny Hill from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Mrs Jane Edmondson, an international development expert. Dr Maxwell emphasized the importance of engaging directly with government officials to assess the impact of interventions.

He clarified that while the organization is known for implementing Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), its work extends beyond malaria. He also addressed concerns regarding the selection of Local Government Areas for SMC, stating that such decisions are made by the National Malaria Elimination Programme.

Dr Maxwell welcomed the Federal Government's efforts to strengthen primary healthcare and urged states to integrate malaria services into routine health planning.