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SUSTAINABILITY CORNER
Access Bank Takes Anti-malaria Campaign
to Pregnant Women and Nursing Mothers
Access Bank Plc. in partnership with the Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa (CAMA), recently held a Malaria Intervention program in 5 communities across Oyo, Ogun and Lagos States. The Intervention raised awareness of malaria prevention and treatment in pregnant women and children under five years of age who constitute the most vulnerable group, in addition to raising awareness on the need to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The intervention keys into the strategy of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) to end Malaria-related deaths in Nigeria, which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) bore about 25% of the global burden in 2018. In Nigeria, Malaria is a leading cause of miscarriages during pregnancy and maternal and child mortality, and it kills 9 individuals every hour.
The intervention which reached over 5,000 pregnant women and mothers with children under five, also provided about 1,600 pregnant women with long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) in Ogooluwa, Eredo and Iberekodo in Lagos State, Aremo and Oke-Ado in Oyo State and Ibafo in Ogun State. Through the initiative, health centers in these communities also received donations of LLINs.
The beneficiaries were encouraged to use insecticide-treated nets and to avoid self-medicating when feeling unwell. They were also encouraged to ensure they maintain a clean environment and proper hygiene as this is also beneficial in preventing COVID-19. A door-to-door malaria awareness and treatment sensitization exercise and social media campaign on malaria prevention were conducted. Over 200,000 people were reached
through the online campaign by the intervention.
Speaking on the intervention, Head of Sustainability, Access Bank, and CAMA Co-chair, Omobolanle Victor- Laniyan, emphasized the importance of strong cross-sector collaborations in the fight against Malaria, even during the COVID-19 pandemic as Malaria-COVID-19 comorbidity has grave consequences. She also said that malaria eradication must be a long-term commitment for everyone and is the reason Access Bank is putting in place multiple strategies and interventions so as to reduce and eventually eliminate the ancient malaria scourge.
Also speaking on the event, Honourable Wasiu Taiwo, Vice Chairman, Eredo LCDA, Epe thanked
Access Bank and its co-partner for hosting the event in Eredo, citing the need for pregnant women to be educated on the use of mosquito nets. He stressed that whilst the government was doing a lot, private sector collaborations with government efforts is needed to turn the tide in reducing maternal deaths and malaria-related deaths in communities like Eredo.
As a world-class financial institution,
Access Bank continues to recognize the importance of a healthy population, rising to the challenge of eradicating Malaria on the continent through various intervention efforts. This has earned the Bank notable recognitions such as the Most Innovative Malaria Programming Award conferred by CAMA alongside a consortium of partners including the Private Sector Malaria Prevention Project, PSMP at John Hopkins Centre for Communication, UK Aid and the National Malaria Control Programme of the Ghana Health Services as well as the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award for Outstanding CSR Health Project of the Year amongst others.
PAGE 5 INSIDE ACCESS | AUGUST 2020 3RD EDITION