Olufolake AbdulRazaq, wife of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, has pledged to use her office to ensure that children in the state no longer die of malaria.
Mrs AbdulRazaq made the pledge on Saturday in Abuja after her investiture as Malaria Ambassador for Kwara by the Society for Family Health (SFH), National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) and other malaria partners.
She said that she would use different channels and resources to disseminate messages on the use of malaria preventive medicines for children three to 59 months and the Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) to ensure that children and families are protected.
“I will also mobilise malaria advocates of the local government areas who will, in turn, mobilise the people at the grassroots to the full three-day course of Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine-Amodiaquine (SPAQ) in this fourth cycle and net utilisation in Kwara becomes highest in the country.
“By the grace of God, I will work with other stakeholders to ensure that children no longer die of malaria, no pregnant woman has miscarriage or gives birth to low-birth-weight child due to malaria and generally reduce the burden of malaria in Kwara State,” the governor’s wife said.
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As malaria ambassador, Mrs AbdulRazaq is expected to play a pivotal role in advocating for prevention, treatment and research, using her office.
She will also support initiatives aimed at increasing public awareness, encouraging community engagements and mobilising resources for malaria elimination campaigns.
Managing director of SFH Dr Omokhudu Idogho said that beyond the focus of ending malaria goals, there was a shift toward a more systematic and targeted integrated approach in its programming.
Represented by Dr Jennifer Anyati, the society’s deputy managing director, strategy, technical and growth, Idogho said that the shift was to work with donors and government to tackle many diseases and to drive progress beyond programmes.
He added that “at SFH, we are committed to driving this process even across our HIV/Tuberculosis/Family Planning portfolio and provide the country with best practices and proof-of-concept to inform the further mainstreaming of integration.
