A Local Award Affirms MSH Leadership in Malaria Elimination in Nigeria

Recognizing MSH’s efforts in providing treatment services for most-at-risk populations 

The Global Fund Malaria Grant, implemented by MSH in collaboration with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP) in Katsina State, Nigeria, recently received a Special Award of Recognition for our support of malaria elimination from the Disease Control Forum in the state. The coalition of Local Government Areas (LGAs) in infectious diseases control recognized MSH as a frontline partner in the fight against malaria in Katsina, one of the 13 states implementing malaria interventions under the Global Fund Malaria Grant in Nigeria.

According to the Chairman of the Forum, Suleiman Sani, “MSH’s support to the state has been critical in training health workers, strengthening monitoring and evaluation and supply chain management systems, and providing technical support at the health facility level to ensure delivery of quality malaria services.”

The award recognizes the work of MSH in Katsina State since 2018, which has focused on addressing gaps in malaria diagnosis and treatment, skills for malaria commodity management and data management at the facility, local government, and state levels. The project created a malaria core team, which conducted supervisory visits to health facilities with LGA personnel to access the delivery of malaria services and build the capacity of those partners who accompanied the team during these site visits.

In addition to addressing gaps in capacities, MSH, in collaboration with CRS and the NMEP, implemented two rounds of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) campaigns in 2021 and 2022 with 100% of the targeted, eligible children receiving malaria preventive medicines. MSH also focused on improving the supply chain management systems in place in Katsina, which involved working with the state’s Logistics Management Coordinating Unit to identify bottlenecks in the distribution of essential malaria drugs and supplies and developing solutions to overcome those obstacles.

State government health officials echo praise for MSH’s support: “MSH has been part of the state health agenda in all its ramifications, supporting the improvement in the indices related to malaria,” explains Dr. Lawal Rabe, Director of the Department of Malaria and Sickle Cell Disease in Katsina’s Ministry of Health.

In acknowledgement and appreciation, Isaac Adejo, the Global Fund Malaria Project Director, notes: “This award of recognition from Katsina State means so much to MSH as an organization and to the future of the work that we do in Nigeria. First, it means an unreserved acceptance of MSH as a highly valued partner of the state government, which has positive implications for our relationships with other states where we work in the northern part of Nigeria. Second, this award has the potential to project MSH as a go-to partner amongst other state with similar needs such as Katsina’s.”