Rotary launches $9m programme to improve childhood health in Nigeria

Rotary International, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, has launched a US$9 million initiative to improve healthcare services, in Nigeria, starting in Kebbi State.

The initiative, according to a statement by RI, in Abuja, is in response to the continued threat of malaria, pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases to children under five in the country.

The international humanitarian organisation said the Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge is aimed to reduce malaria, pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases by strengthening community health systems.

“As part of the broader Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge’ (RHCC), the Nigeria programme, guided by the Federal Ministry of Health, will address the specific health needs in Kebbi State and one additional state to be determined at a later stage.

“Over 2,750 community health workers will be trained and deployed to provide essential diagnosis, treatment, and care for malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea, significantly reducing childhood mortality in these regions.

“Rotary is committed to improving health outcomes by empowering communities,” said Aloysius Balogun, Rotary Country Committee Lead in Nigeria and member of the Rotary Club Agege.

“Through this initiative, we are equipping our community healthcare workers with the tools and training necessary to deliver life-saving services right where they are needed the most.”

He added that over the next three years, Rotary members, in partnership with PATH, would work closely with government at central and local levels, along with community leaders, to enhance health systems, “aiming to reach an estimated 3.5 million people in 700,000 households in the target states.”

He said the programme would also foster community engagement and raise awareness on the importance of early disease treatment, while improving data collection and management practices for accurate health reporting and informed decision-making.

“By empowering community health workers and strengthening local healthcare systems, this initiative in Kebbi State can significantly reduce preventable deaths from malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea,” said Obinna Onyekwena, Deputy Director of Infectious Diseases Advocacy at the Gates Foundation.

“The Gates Foundation is proud to partner with Rotary and PATH on this crucial step towards a healthier future for children in Nigeria.”

The Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge, according to the statement, is a multi-country initiative aimed at strengthening community health systems and reducing childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.

By focusing on malaria, pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases, the program seeks to create sustainable health improvements in Nigeria, as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, and Zambia.

In the latter three countries, Rotary is partnering with World Vision alongside the Gates Foundation to implement the programme.

The initiative builds on the success of Rotary’s Programme of Scale ‘Partners for a Malaria-Free Zambia,’ which significantly reduced malaria incidence in targeted districts.

“PATH is privileged to partner with Rotary in support of the Ministry of Health,” said Dr. Ayebatari Lawson, Team Lead for PATH MACEPA in Nigeria. “Trained community health workers save lives by detecting and clearing infections early. Through their work, the health system is strengthened with local, timely, and quality disease data.”

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The statement added that “Rotary members throughout the world develop and implement sustainable, community-driven projects that fight disease, promote peace, provide clean water, support education, help mothers and children, grow local economies, and protect the environment.

“Over the last 100 years, US $5.5 billion has been awarded through The Rotary Foundation – Rotary’s charitable arm that helps clubs work together to perform meaningful, impactful service.”