The Golden Generation Women for Sound Health and Development Foundation (GOSHEN Foundation) has called for the inclusion of Iyah Primary Health Care Centre in the ongoing distribution of life-saving malaria commodities in Kogi State. This appeal was made during an advocacy visit to Famkris Healthcare Initiative (FHCI) office in Lokoja, Kogi State. GOSHEN Foundation's Programme Officer, Oluremi Haruna, presented findings from Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) and Supportive Supervision Visits (SSVs) conducted in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area.
According to GOSHEN Foundation, most health facilities in Kogi State are benefiting from the Support to Malaria Elimination Project (SMEP), but Iyah Primary Health Care Centre (PHC) has been left out. This exclusion threatens access to essential malaria services for residents of the community. The SMEP, funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) through the Lives and Livelihoods Fund, is being implemented in partnership with the Federal Government, Kogi State Government, and other stakeholders.
In Kogi, the project is executed by Famkris Healthcare Initiative (FHCI), which currently supports 515 health facilities across the 21 local government areas. As the final-line distribution partner, Famkris supplies malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits, Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs), including AL1–AL4, and Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) for malaria prevention in pregnancy. These commodities enable health facilities to provide free malaria testing and treatment.
GOSHEN Foundation's Programme Officer, Oluremi Haruna, urged Famkris to urgently integrate Iyah PHC into the programme to prevent disruption in malaria services. She sought clarity on the criteria for onboarding additional facilities and pledged to sustain advocacy efforts by leveraging its monitoring data to push for equitable distribution of malaria commodities and improved healthcare access for vulnerable communities across Kogi State.
Responding to GOSHEN Foundation's appeal, the State Team Lead of Famkris, Dr. Salamatu Yahaya, acknowledged the growing demand for inclusion of more health facilities across the state. However, she noted that expansion decisions are not solely within the organisation's control, as approvals require the involvement of the Kogi State Government and other key partners under the SMEP framework.
Dr. Salamatu Yahaya assured that Iyah PHC would be captured in the list of facilities under consideration and tabled at the next stakeholder roundtable for possible inclusion. This development has spotlighted the need for swift, coordinated action to close gaps in service delivery, as stakeholders warn that any disruption in access to free malaria diagnosis and treatment could reverse hard-earned gains in the fight against the disease.
The Kogi State Government and other stakeholders must work together to address the anomaly and ensure that Iyah PHC is included in the distribution of malaria commodities. The SMEP project aims to eliminate malaria in the state, and the inclusion of Iyah PHC is crucial to achieving this goal. GOSHEN Foundation's advocacy efforts have brought attention to the issue, and it is hoped that a solution will be found soon.
Key points
- GOSHEN Foundation calls for the inclusion of Iyah PHC in the distribution of malaria commodities to ensure equitable access to healthcare services.
- The exclusion of Iyah PHC from the SMEP project threatens access to essential malaria services for residents of the community.
- Famkris Healthcare Initiative has assured that Iyah PHC will be considered for inclusion in the next stakeholder roundtable.
