About 2,000 women and children across Rivers and Delta States have already benefited from a malaria eradication campaign launched by HACEY Health Initiative, a development-focused non-governmental organization committed to improving public health in vulnerable communities.
The outreach, held at Rumueme Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, provided free malaria testing, chemical prophylaxis for pregnant women, and the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
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Organized in partnership with Access Holdings PLC, the campaign is themed “Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite.”
HACEY’s Programme Manager, Bamidele Oyewumi, said the project aims to reach at least 2,000 pregnant women, mothers, and children under five groups considered most at risk in high-burden malaria zones. He emphasized that malaria continues to disrupt schooling for children and productivity for women, largely due to poor hygiene, unclean environments, and inadequate health-seeking habits.
Oyewumi added that the project is designed not only to provide testing and treatment referrals, but also to equip communities with knowledge on prevention. “We want to see zero malaria in our communities,” he said. “We’re sensitizing residents on how to protect themselves and reduce transmission.”
Access Bank’s Regional Manager for Rivers 3 Region, Ogechi Irehie, described the collaboration as part of the bank’s commitment to supporting public health through corporate social responsibility. She noted that many families struggle to afford malaria care, making the intervention timely.
“We are here to screen, sensitize, and provide mosquito nets and drugs for those who test positive,” she said. “This partnership is our way of giving back and helping to combat malaria in challenged communities.”
