- Agency Report
The Youth on Ground Progressive and Mentorship Initiative (YOG), a non-governmental organisation, has expressed concern over the prevalence of malaria and typhoid fever among Nigerians, particularly in rural communities with limited access to healthcare services.
Dr Obioma Nwuba, Founder and National Coordinator of YOG, raised the concern on Thursday during a free two-day medical outreach organised by the group in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra.
Nwuba described malaria and typhoid as silent killers that should not be treated casually, especially during the rainy season when malaria cases tend to rise significantly across many communities.
He urged Nigerians to seek prompt medical attention whenever symptoms occurred, emphasising that early diagnosis and treatment remained critical to preventing complications and reducing the burden of disease.
According to him, the large turnout at the ongoing outreach showed that many residents, particularly rural women and youths, were in need of accessible and affordable healthcare services.
“Most of these people are primarily here because of malaria and typhoid, and some have had it for weeks and months and because of financial constraints, they have been unable to treat themselves.
“So, they suffer in silence. I urge other organisations to join us in conducting free medical outreaches, especially in the area of malaria and typhoid.
“This period is the time when the disease is very prevalent because of the weather and rainfall. It is a silent killer, so do not see it as ordinary malaria and typhoid,” he said.
Nwuba explained that the outreach was focused primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of malaria and typhoid while addressing other critical health concerns affecting underserved populations in communities.
“However, we partnered with the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency and Knowledge Network for Disease Control and Vigilance (KNCV) to provide screening, counselling and treatment for tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C and HIV.
“The initiative is taking healthcare services to the grassroots and supporting people who cannot ordinarily afford medical care,” he said.
The YOG founder also called on private organisations and other stakeholders to complement government efforts aimed at improving healthcare delivery and expanding access to essential medical services nationwide.
“There is no country that was built by the government alone. Most of the big ideas were nurtured and driven by the private sector.
“Organisations need to complement the activities of the government. The President has set up the Renewed Hope Agenda and what organisations need to do is to key in and help government achieve its goal,” he said.
Also speaking, the Anambra Coordinator of YOG, Mr Azubuike Okafor, said the two-day programme was designed to provide medical services to about 2,000 patients across communities.
Okafor said the initiative would be extended to other parts of the country to ensure that more underserved communities benefited from free healthcare services and interventions.
“We had the first one in Abuja and we are here now in Anambra. From here, we are moving to Edo and later Kaduna too; and we will keep extending it as our capacity can carry,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Mary-Jane Okpara, who received free malaria medication during the outreach, commended YOG for bringing healthcare services closer to people in the community. NAN