Featured, Health
By Ejenike Christabel
AS the introduction of vaccines for malaria is gaining more acceptance in many African countries, some Nigerian medical doctors have lent their support for the introduction of the vaccine in the country.
For instance, a medical doctor at the University of Nigerian Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Enugu campus, Dr. Ike Ezekiel, said that he was in support of the use of malaria vaccine in the country.
The medical doctor told Realnews Magazine in an interview that he was fully in support of the use of the vaccine as long as the National Administration for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, approves the use of the vaccines in the country.
He believed that the response to the malaria vaccine may be different from the experience people had with the Covid-19 vaccine due mainly to the unfortunate conspiracy theories alleging that the Western world wanted to depopulate the black race with the vaccine. “I also don’t think the acceptance of this vaccine will be same with that of COVID-19 vaccine because malaria is more in Africa, while that time Covid-19 was more in the western country.
He also added that if there is a test of its efficacy in Nigeria and it works, people will readily accept the vaccine.
Speaking in the same vein, Dr. Abum Emmanuel, another medical doctor from UNTH, recommended the vaccine if it is certified by the government. “When we know the menace of the plasmodium parasite and what it does to us in the tropics and Sub-Saharan Africa, and if the vaccine is ok, we well embrace it. But if there’s enough information about the safety of the vaccine, and if the government certifies that it is ok then I will recommend it because after all they have to protect us and not to kill us,” he said.
He also stated that the acceptance of the malaria vaccine is not really certain until it is introduced and that it also depends on how the sensitization of the vaccine is carried out. “If there is a knowledge gap, there will be doubts and once doubt comes in, it will be rejected. Also what people hear on social media about it affects how they perceive the vaccine,” he said.
For Ifeanyi Ejenike a Medical Laboratory Scientist Intern at the UNTH, nless the country carries out its own test he would not recommend it any person. “I won’t recommend the vaccine until it has been tested and if there’s no actual proven results and not what someone says, if we don’t have our own results then I won’t recommend to anyone,” he added.
Meanwhile, the routine for the long awaited malaria vaccine has started in Africa with Cameroon launching the world’s first routine vaccine programme against malaria on Monday, Jan 22, 2024 and all eyes are on them to know how effective the vaccine will be in eradicating malaria.
Malaria vaccine, RTS, S/AS01, has demonstrated modest efficacy against malaria and holds promises for children living in areas where malaria transmission is high and according to a research carried out by Mary Yetunde Ajayi and Daniel Chukwunyere Emeto, 203 or 40.3% respondents were aware of malaria vaccine, while 463 (91.9%) were willing to accept the vaccine when it is introduced for use in the country, so it’s safe to say that the routine vaccine programme against malaria will be successful in Nigeria.
However, while the nation awaits the introduction of the vaccine, the federal government had on Tuesday, January 22, 2024, inaugurated the Global Fund Grant Cycle-7 on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Resilient and Sustainable System for 2024-2026 implementation periods.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said that the programme was beneficial to the good people of Nigeria.
According to the minister, the occasion was another grant implementation cycle as it marked an important period in the efforts of the federal government in the fight against the epidemic of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Prof. Pate, who is also the Chairman of the Country Coordinating Mechanism, CCM, said that the grant would also support the building of resilient and sustainable system for health towards pandemic preparedness.
He added that the grant would also ensure health security to all citizens, including the most vulnerable population such as women and children less than five years.
He noted that Nigeria is the highest recipient of the Global Fund grant in the 2021 – 2023 implementation periods with over 1.2 billion dollars, including COVID-19 allocation. Pate said that the experience from investment in health systems with high emphasis on laboratory systems strengthening for surveillance, diagnostics and quality assurance/quality control informed the implementation design of 2024- 2026 implementation period.
He explained that at the end of 2023, more than 87 million nets had been distributed across Nigeria over the last five years with the Global Fund’s support.
“The Government of Nigeria, PEPFAR, The Global Fund and other partners’ efforts have significantly increased the number of people diagnosed with HIV and placed on antiretroviral therapy.
“Over the years, the efforts by the governments and partners have enabled some successes in HIV/AID, Tuberculosis and Malaria responses in Nigeria.
“In December 2022, The CCM Nigeria received the allocation for 2023-2025,’’ he said.
Pate said throughout 2023, the instrumentality of stakeholders’ engagement was deployed to develop a robust Funding Request that was considered technically sound by the Global Fund Technical Review Panel, TRP.
He added that the TRP also recommended that the CCM-Nigeria should proceed with grant making.
“At the end of the entire processes, we have eight grants signed with the Global Fund and the nominated Principal Recipient, PR.
“The PRs grant portfolio and amount respectively are National Agency for the Control of AIDS- HIV/AIDS 10,663,394:00 dollars, National AIDS and STDs Control Programme (NASCP)-FMOH HIV/AIDS 30,038,555:00 dollars.
“National Tuberculosis, Leprosy; Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NTBLCP)-FMOH Tuberculosis 122,390,772:00 dollars, Institute for Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) HIV/TB (C-Grant) 340,095,438:00 dollars, National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP)-FMOH Malaria 80,877,025:00 dollars.
“Catholic Relief Services, CRS, Malaria 315, 933,900:00 dollars, National Tuberculosis, Leprosy; Buruli Ulcer Control Programme- FMOH RSSH 42,557,406:00 dollars, Lagos State Ministry of Health RSSH 4,100,440:00 dollars
The minister said this amounted to a total of 933,156,931 dollars. Pate also urged the states to take leadership and ownership of this process to ensure sustainability.
“This means ensuring that both state and local government areas commit resources not only for the three diseases currently receiving support from The Global Fund, but also for other interventions in the state.
“I appeal to our media and religious leaders to assist in encouraging people in our communities to access the care at the designated facilities (Public and Private),’’ he said.
In his remark at the event, Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, said the Global Fund was created to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, GFATM.
Akume represented by Maurice Mbaeri, Permanent Secretary (General Services Office) SGF, said this was first conceived in Nigeria during the World Malaria Summit in Abuja in 2000, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
He said the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health, catalysed the creation of the Country Coordinating Mechanism, CCM, Nigeria in March 2002, as the only recognised entity that could access the Global Fund grants on behalf of Nigeria.
“Through this partnership, the Government of Nigeria has demonstrated commitment, ownership and put in use the resources allocated to the country by the Global Fund to support the fighting against the scourge of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
“This is with conscious efforts towards building a Resilient and Sustainable System for Health, RSSH.
“The government’s political will has been demonstrated and in this current implementation period, 2024 – 2026 the expected co-financing for the three diseases and health in general will be provided.
“I am elated that the CCM has put in place a good governance structure that is participatory and representative across the different sectors with effective oversight mechanism that will oversee the implementation of the Grant Cycle 7.
“To ensure full compliance with the grant confirmation agreement,”Akume said.
Also, Ms. Kachallom Daju, Permanent Secretary of Health, appreciated the Global Fund for the continued support to Nigeria.
“It’s on record that HIV, TB and Malaria allocation for Nigeria has been adjusted upwards to better account for the burden and needs of key and vulnerable populations.
“The increased allocation also aims to address the critical service coverage gaps among pregnant women, children, key populations and adolescent, gaps in finding TB missing cases in children and in the private sector.
“The Global Fund endowment is supporting evidence-based programmes that should also make use of available evidence to improve the public-sector/private-sector approach, and the performance-based funding.
The country’s concerted efforts of stakeholders of diverse constituencies would be activated towards yielding positive results during the implementation.
“The current Global Fund GC-7 grants for 2024-2026, totaling 933 million dollars, for which we are gathering here today, would support interventions in 13 priority states in Nigeria for malaria.
“Four comprehensive states for HIV/AIDS and all the 36 states plus FCT will benefit from Tuberculosis’s grant.
“It will also support health system strengthening in all 36 states plus FCT and will support 5 states with health insurance for vulnerable group,” she said.
With the inauguration of these intervention funds and programmes and the planned introduction of malaria vaccine in the country, it is certain that Nigeria will in the near future be declared as a nation free from malaria.
A.
-January 26, 2024 @ 17:43 GMT|
Tags: Dr. Ike Ezekiel Ejenike Christabel NAFDAC
