The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has built the capacity of more than 380 healthcare workers in 18 Local Government Areas (LGA) in Ondo State on the diagnosis and treatment of malaria.
The two-day training sessions, which held concurrently at the Local Government Areas, equipped participants with skills to identify malaria symptoms, use diagnostic tools effectively for treatment of malaria, and properly document malaria cases within the Health Management Information System.
IHVN Ondo State Manager Dr Samuel Akingbesote explained that the training was part of the activities of the World Bank-funded Immunization and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) project, which IHVN is implementing in partnership with the Ondo State Government.
”Regular training of frontline healthcare workers ensures they remain updated on best practices, guidelines, and innovative approaches to delivering high-quality healthcare services. This training will bridge gaps in knowledge and practice observed during baseline facility assessment in the state. It also aligns with the goals of the IMPACT Ondo Project by fostering the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered care and achieving measurable improvements in health outcomes. With the conclusion of healthcare workers training, all is set for the provision of qualitative malaria care backed up with effective data management and efficient logistics system in the state,” he said.
The Malaria Focal Person from Owo Local Government Area, Ms. Adejimi Omolade, said that the training provided updates on malaria case management. “We learned that in the first trimester, Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) is safe for malaria in pregnancy. We also learned about proper use of the rapid diagnostic kit. Mrs. Omolade added that the sessions also guided grievance redress, which will build a good relationship between health care workers and patients.
Another participant, a nurse from Ondo West Local Government Area, Ms. Ajayi Tolulope, said that the sessions were a time for learning and relearning malaria case management in children.
“I learned that a minimum dose of Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine should be given to a pregnant woman as Intermittent Preventive Therapy in pregnancy. This should start between 13 to 16 weeks of gestation as Directly Observed Therapy,” she said.
Healthcare workers including doctors, nurses, community health extension workers and laboratory scientists from the state’s 203 Basic Health Care Fund facilities participated in the malaria case management training.
IMPACT project is targeted at promoting the uptake of malaria prevention and treatment services among women and children under five years of age in Ondo State.
