The Niger State Government has launched a comprehensive malaria intervention valued at more than N2.5 billion and commenced the distribution of 1,000 hospital beds to public health facilities across the state.
The intervention also includes essential medicines, medical consumables and mobility aids, while another 1,000 hospital beds are expected to be delivered shortly.
The Deputy Governor of Niger State, Comrade Yakubu Garba, disclosed this during the official launch and distribution of malaria commodities, hospital beds and wheelchairs at the Niger State Drugs and Hospital Consumables Management Agency (NSDHCMA) in Minna.
Comrade Garba said the intervention was part of the health agenda of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s administration under the New Niger Agenda, which prioritises access to quality, affordable and responsive healthcare.
He said the intervention is projected to benefit about 6.9 million residents, with nearly four million people already reached during the initial phase of distribution.
The Deputy Governor stressed the need for timely, transparent and equitable distribution of the commodities to health facilities across the state.
He said the intervention would contribute significantly to reducing the burden of malaria and preventing avoidable deaths.
Comrade Garba commended the State Ministry of Health, NSDHCMA, development partners and other agencies involved in the programme, assuring them that the government would sustain its counterpart funding and support effective implementation of health interventions.
In his remarks, the Executive Director of NSDHCMA, Pharmacist Umar Ndagi, said the agency remained committed to ensuring uninterrupted availability of essential medicines and medical supplies in public health facilities.
Pharmacist Ndagi disclosed that distribution of the first 1,000 hospital beds had commenced, with another 1,000 expected to arrive soon.
He also said the agency, in collaboration with the Malaria Consortium, had commenced distribution of prophylactic antimalarial medicines across all 25 Local Government Areas of the state.
According to him, NSDHCMA currently supplies about 90 per cent of medicines and medical consumables used across Niger State’s public healthcare system.
He said the agency serves 23 general hospitals, more than 400 primary healthcare centres and the IBB Specialist Hospital.
The State Representative of the Malaria Consortium, Pharmacist Aminu Aliyu, commended the state government for creating an enabling environment for health interventions, providing counterpart funding and strengthening coordination among stakeholders.
He said the Malaria Consortium, in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme and other partners, had supplied millions of insecticide-treated nets, diagnostic kits and antimalarial commodities to support malaria prevention and control in the state.
The event was attended by members of the State Executive Council, the State Head of Service, Permanent Secretaries, senior government officials and other stakeholders in the health sector.