Malaria Advocacy Communication and Social Mobilisation Core Group Bounces Back to Life in Adamawa.

By Catherine Philip Jelani 

The Adamawa State Advocacy Communication and Social Mobilisation  Core Group ACSM consists of relevant Stakeholders and line Ministries that are task with the responsibility of ensuring  a malaria free society. The Group was inaugurated in the year 2019 but has not been functioning since then.  However,  the National Group have recently visited the state to revive it.

Mr Benjamin Nashun, the State Programme Officer on Malaria with the Ministry of Health and Human services in a remark said without advocacy and Social Mobilisation,  the state is going no where hence the need for the group to come back to life.  He assured that the State Ministry of Health and the Programme is interested in communication on malaria and everyone one present at the meeting is important. 

The representative of the National Malaria Elimination Programme and Head ACSM branch, Onyilo Raphael on the other hand said, they were in the State to revive and strengthen the group.  " Our expectation is that from this moment,  there will be a quarterly meeting , and by the time we return for follow-up,  our core group would have been stronger in creating awareness and Mobilizing the people on malaria."

Mrs. Owoya Samuel SBC focal during a presentation on the previous malaria activity in the State where explained that the group has Terms of reference,  guidelines, action points amongst others.

At the end of the meeting,  action points were identified and agreed on, they includes; to

1. establish a social media account eg Facebook ,

2. conduct quarterly meetings ,

3. share the slides of the presentation made by Mrs Waya to the group, 

4. share the  terms of reference with members,

5. Map our organisations or individuals for sponsorship and support, 

6. should increase the number of group members to 30 instead of 15,

7. review the leadership of the group.