MAT-144: Community-Based Malaria Project in Nigeria

This project report details a community-based initiative in Kachia, Kaduna State, Nigeria, aimed at controlling malaria. The project involves an 11-member team distributing insecticide-treated mosquito nets, providing antimalaria drugs, and offering public education on malaria prevention. The report provides an overview of Nigeria's cultural and social aspects, including its population demographics, history, and economic situation, emphasizing the high poverty index which makes the population vulnerable to malaria. It discusses the project's alignment with Judeo-Christian-Islamic ideals of helping neighbors, provides information on the target population of Kachia town, and examines the economic context of Nigeria. The report also addresses potential safety concerns and lists references used for the project.

MAT-144
Community Based project in Kaduna State Nigeria

An overview of the project purpose
• In this project a group of 11 individuals will visit the Kachia town located in
Kaduna state in Nigeria.
• The objective of the travel will be to offer support in malaria control in the
region.
• During the tour the team will concentrate on distribution of insecticide treated
mosquito nets, offer antimalaria drugs to the infected, offer public education
on ways of eliminating malaria transmission.

Cultural and social aspects of
Nigeria and its population
• Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. According to the latest official census conducted in 2012 the
nation had 166.2 million people.
• The country's current population is estimated at 203.9 million.
• The country's population is split between Christianity and Islam with the Northern part of the nation
mostly covered by the Nigerian Muslims.
• The nation gained independence from Britain in 1960
• The nation’s economy was mainly fronted by Agriculture. Discovery of petroleum in the country has
though transformed it to one of the oil rich regions and the nation currently plays a major role in
influencing oil prices under OPEC.

Cont’
• The nation’s economy is still dwindling with areas such as unemployment, high
inflation rates and severe poverty across the country yet to be addressed.
• The nation is frequently affected by ethnic clashes that is arising from the
struggle for the nation’s share of petroleum which has deteriorated
development in most parts of the country.
• The selection of the nation was made due to the high poverty index in the
region which makes most of the people vulnerable to diseases like Malaria

How the project choice works toward fulfillment of the
Judeo-Christian-Islamic ideal to love your neighbor as
yourself
• One of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic ideal is to love your neighbor as you love yourself.
• In this project the group will sacrifice 4 weeks from their calendar to go and offer
health assistance to an area that they know no single person.
• This humanitarian assistance is meant to assist the target communities fight and
eliminate malaria.
• This way the team dedicates their time and risk infection so as to offer support to
their neighbors.

Information about the target
population
• The target population for the project is the people residing in Kachia town which in located
in Kaduna state Nigeria.
• Kachia is a local town in Nigeria with a population of 244,274 as per the 2006 census, this
was around 0.17% of the total population of Nigeria.
• The community members are mainly farmers with crops like ginger, sorghum, soybeans and
millet forming majority of their produce.
• The community is a mixture of Christians and Muslims with traditional religion also having a
significant number of followers.

The economic situation in Nigeria
• Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and produces most of the goods consumed in West Africa.
• The country’s oil supply is about 2.7% of the global supply which is a major contributor of the
government revenue.
• The nation’s agricultural sector is collapsing due to the raid population growth forcing the country
to import some of the agricultural goods.
• The nation has high income inequality which has pushed most of its population into poverty.
• The project aims at making the life of the target population better by assisting the poor fight
malaria pandemic

Possible safety concerns
• Some of the safety measures that the team might have to keep in mind involve:
• Taking malaria vaccine to prevent infection while in the region.
• Following up on the international news so as to ensure the areas visited are free
from tribal conflicts.
• Stocking adequate food and other medical items to ensure the members of the
team are comfortable during the tour.

References
• Advameg, 2020. Countries and Their Cultures: Nigeria. [Online]
Available at: https://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Nigeria.html
[Accessed 26 January 2020].
• Bajoga, U. A. et al., 2019. Trend of malaria cases in Kaduna State using routine surveillance data, 2011-
2015. The Pan Africal Medical Journal, 32(Supp 1), p. 8. doi:10.11604/pamj.supp.2019.32.1.13735.
• World Population Review, 2020. Nigeria Population 2020. [Online]
Available at: http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/nigeria-population/
[Accessed 25 January 2020].