A group, the Civil Society Organisation on Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN), has urged Muslim faithful to always patronise health centres for their healthcare needs.
The Delta State Coordinator of ACOMIN, Pastor Gregory Sifo, and the State Programme Officer, Sir Austen Uwede, made the call in Asaba during an advocacy visit to the representative of Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Alhaji (Dr.) Yinusa Adekoka, who is the Chief Imam of Asaba Central Mosque.
Sifo told the Islamic leader that the visit was to assess how the organisation’s project had impacted Muslim worshippers and to identify areas that need improvement.
Speaking further, Uwede said the national office directed them to extend advocacy, beyond stakeholders in relevant government ministries, to religious leaders and organisations to encourage their members to use health facilities.
Uwede disclosed that ACOMIN would be organising Gender-Based Violence (GBV) outreach in schools.
He enjoined parents to tell their children/wards to be attentive during the outreach, adding that ACOMIN was already shifting focus from malaria to integration of HIV, tuberculosis to GBV/GHR issues.
He explained that the GBV outreach would be carried out in schools and worship centres between Friday 13th and Monday 16th November 2026.
Uwede also informed the Islamic leader of the chatbot platform where he and his worshippers can access information on health services, especially ATM, to lodge complaints on healthcare service delivery and receive instant responses.
Responding, the Chief Imam, Dr. Yinusa Adekoka, thanked the group for the visit and emphasised the importance of sustaining the project.
In continuation of the advocacy visit, Sifo and Uwede led ACOMIN team to the office of the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Uche Okwe to seek for more partnership and to find out why ACOMIN was not invited for the Ministry’s Annual Operational Plan (AOP).
They commended the Ministry for its synergy with the organization and for participating in virtually all ACOMIN’s activities in the State, noting that the organization was tracking what is being done in the health sector.
While reiterating that the essence of the advocacy visit was to find out why invitation for AOP was not extended to their organization in the State, Sifo and Uwede said that other states being funded by ACOMIN participated in Annual Operational Plan in their various states.
In her remarks, Dr. Okwe clarified that due to budget constraints not all their partners were invited by the Ministry, pointing out that the partners invited funded part of the meeting and were sponsored by their organizations.
She however, noted the observation of ACOMIN for future enhancements.
The State Chairman told the DPRS that her observations will be conveyed to the national Office.
By Magnus Emuji
