Abia takes IMPACT Project to 292 wards

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

Abia State Government has said that it is passionate about the health of its citizens, hence its decision to take the Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services, IMPACT, project to the 292 wards in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Mrs Ngozi Okoronkwo, stated this in Umuahia on Tuesday night at the review of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the government and PanAfricare, disclosing, “The money is ours and not a grant, hence we are making sure that all go on well.”

In his speech, the State Team Lead of PanAfricare, Patrick Adah said that the project, IMPACT, will be implemented at the Ward Health Facilities in the 292 wards in the state.

PanAfricare is the non-state actor engaged by the Abia State government to implement IMPACT at the 292 Ward Health Facilities in the state, supported by the World Bank, and funded by the state government.

Adah disclosed that they were in the state “to review the MoU between them and the state government,” stating that after the review, the MoU will be signed and PanAfricare will now go to the 292 ward health facilities, who will sign through the Abia State Primary Health Care Agency, ABSPHCDA.

Adah assured that PanAfricare will ensure that the commodities are not misused and ensure that the people at the ward health facilities deliver the commodities to those it was intended for.

IMPACT is designed to strengthen the delivery and promote the uptake of malaria prevention and treatment services, especially in rural communities, where the burden of malaria is the greatest in Abia State, while the Project duration is 2023-2025 with a probability of extension

At implementation, IMPACT will seek to improve access and utilization of LLINs to at least 80 per cent of the targeted population, ensure provision of diagnosis and appropriate treatment for 80 per cent of the target populations at risk, improve the decision-making impact through reporting of quality malaria data and information from at least 8,076 of health facilities (public and private) and other data sources and strengthen coordination, collaboration, and strategic partnership to promote efficiency and effectiveness of malaria control activities towards achieving at least 75 per cent improvement from baseline.

When the MoU is signed, the activities of the project will include conducting a baseline assessment of health facilities, and procurement and distribution of malaria commodities, such as Artemicidal Combined Therapy, ACTs; Rapid Diagnostic Tests, RDTs; Sulphur drugs. SPs; and Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets, LLINs, and free diagnosis and treatment of malaria cases.

It will also include training of health workers in the 292 primary and secondary health facilities, awareness creation and sensitization on malaria prevention at the community level, creating demand for malaria services in the communities and training Project Implementation Unit, PIU, members on Environmental and Social Safeguard.