REPORT OF PROJECT ‘’ZERO MALARIA’’ ISALE-EKO, LAGOS
Organization: Health Volunteers Naija (HVNaija)
Supporting Organization: Al-Mukhliseen Islamic Society of Nigeria
Project Site: Church Street, Isale-Eko, Lagos Island Local Government, Lagos
Date: Sunday 25th November, 2018
Project Description: Community sensitization to encourage proper home/environmental sanitation and voluntary,regular medical check-up. The talk also aims at encouraging indoor residual insecticide spraying of insecticides, use of mosquito nets and mosquito repellents. Conduct free Malaria RDT, free blood pressure check, free blood glucose test, distribution of ITNs to pregnant women and women with children ≤ 5 years of age.
Objective: Increase individual & community health awareness, Reduce active malaria transmission in Isale-Eko, Reduce clinical cases of malaria infection.
Activity: The event started at 12:00pm with a brief talk by the Portfolio Manager, Sijuade Akinyemi-Eshilokun. He introduced the audience to the organization and reiterated the purpose of the medical outreach. He told an emotional personal story to encourage regular medical check up and the need to protect themselves against malaria. He also made the audience realize that malaria is a deadly disease, resulting in child mortality and several complications which range from mild to severe. The audience were further charged to regularly test for malaria and take proper medical treatment when required.
After the talk, 100 persons tested for malaria using the RDT kits. 17 persons tested positive, 11 of which were averagely 10 years old and 6 adults of an average 45 years of age. These persons were referred to the Pharmaceutical section where ACT antimalarial drugs were dispensed accordingly.
130 adults were able to check their blood pressure using digital sphygmomanometers provided by the team and were duly counselled by the medical professionals based on their respective blood pressure readings.
115 persons were privileged to check the blood glucose level and were advised accordingly by a team of doctors and nutritionists. Those who required further medical attention were referred to the community health centre.
All persons were given some basic health enhancement medicines including Vitamin C tablets, Vitamin B complex and paracetamol. These will help to boost immunity and as well improve overall health.
A total 20 women who were either pregnant or with children ≤ 5 years of age were given mosquito nets. These persons made pledges before the community leaders to make the best use of the nets.
Impact: The community awareness on health especially malaria was enhanced as more community residents got to know that malaria can be fatal and that they should take prevention of mosquito bites seriously.
The residents showed a renewed commitment towards using mosquito nets as they readily made pledges to use the nets as a worthy form of malaria prevention
Many residents became aware of their health status and realized the need for regular medical check and overall body maintenance
ACT treatment for confirmed malaria positive cases ensured that the actual malaria cases in the community were reduced, hence reducing active transmission.
Feedback: Community leaders and residents were delighted to have benefitted from such a massive health intervention. They informed the team that this is the first of its kind.
An elderly woman who had her grandson treated for malaria informed the team that she would have taken him to the hospital for treatment days ago but there was no fund to do that.
No of Volunteers: 20
Departments: Registration, Protocol & Medical
